Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Katharina Tabea Jungo, Sven Streit, Julie C. Lauffenburger
Summary: This study investigated measurable patient factors associated with new outpatient prescribing of potentially inappropriate medications in older multimorbid adults. It found that factors such as gender, age, number of ambulatory visits, number of prescribing orders, and heart failure were independently associated with being newly prescribed a potentially inappropriate medication.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Xueyuan Guo, Mengmeng Li, Xin Du, Chenxi Jiang, Songnan Li, Ribo Tang, Caihua Sang, Ronghui Yu, Deyong Long, Jianzeng Dong, Changsheng Ma
Summary: Multimorbidity and polypharmacy are highly prevalent among elderly patients with atrial fibrillation in China, leading to a high rate of inappropriate prescribing. Greater attention should be given to addressing these serious health issues in the elderly population.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Peter H. Rivers, Nigel Langford, Andrew Whitehead, Tim Harrison
Summary: This study aimed to understand the mindset of doctors and pharmacists in prescribing decisions in a multimorbidity and polypharmacy context. Through case studies and focus group discussions, seven principal themes were identified that influenced prescribing decisions on the acute medical unit. Additionally, three attitudinal characteristics were highlighted as potentially impacting negatively upon the quality of prescribing decisions.
JOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Isabel Del Cura-Gonzalez, Juan A. Lopez-Rodriguez, Francisca Leiva-Fernandez, Antonio Gimeno-Miguel, Beatriz Poblador-Plou, Fernando Lopez-Verde, Cristina Lozano-Hernandez, Victoria Pico-Soler, Ma Josefa Bujalance-Zafra, Luis A. Gimeno-Feliu, Mercedes Aza-Pascual-Salcedo, Marisa Rogero-Blanco, Francisca Gonzalez-Rubio, Francisca Garcia-de-Blas, Elena Polentinos-Castro, Teresa Sanz-Cuesta, Marcos Castillo-Jimena, Marcos Alonso-Garcia, Amaia Calderon-Larranaga, Jose M. Valderas, Alessandra Marengoni, Christiane Muth, Juan Daniel Prados-Torres, Alexandra Prados-Torres
Summary: This article describes a study on the effectiveness of a complex MULTIPAP intervention that implements the Ariadne principles in a primary care population of young-elderly patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The results show that the intervention improved medication appropriateness sustainably over the follow-up time, but caution is advised in interpreting the results due to the lack of evidence for the clinical benefit of the observed change in the Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI).
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Joanne Reeve
Summary: Problematic polypharmacy is an increasing challenge in healthcare, where medication intended to improve patient health is now contributing to the problem. The practice of medicine itself has become a driving force behind this issue. Addressing this challenge requires a shift in thinking and the active incorporation of compromise into medication use.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Yusuke Suzuki, Nariaki Shiraishi, Hitoshi Komiya, Mikio Sakakibara, Masahiro Akishita, Masafumi Kuzuya
Summary: The study found that the number of prescribed drugs and the prevalence of polypharmacy have decreased in older adults over the past few years, but there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs).
ARCHIVES OF GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS
(2022)
Article
Primary Health Care
Amandeep Khatter, Frank Moriarty, Mark Ashworth, Stevo Durbaba, Patrick Redmond
Summary: The prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) in middle-aged adults decreased from 20% in 2014 to 18% in 2019. Factors such as polypharmacy, multimorbidity, deprivation, and age were found to be independently associated with PIP, while sex was not associated.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF GENERAL PRACTICE
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Farhad Pazan, Hanna Breunig, Christel Weiss, Susanne Roehr, Melanie Luppa, Michael Pentzek, Horst Bickel, Dagmar Weeg, Siegfried Weyerer, Birgitt Wiese, Hans-Helmut Koenig, Christian Brettschneider, Kathrin Heser, Wolfgang Maier, Martin Scherer, Steffi Riedel-Heller, Michael Wagner, Martin Wehling
Summary: This study found an association between higher FORTA scores and activities of daily living in community-dwelling older adults. Additionally, higher FORTA scores appear to be linked to a higher incidence of dementia and mortality.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
J. Gonzalez-Bueno, D. Sevilla-Sanchez, E. Puigoriol-Juvanteny, N. Molist-Brunet, C. Codina-Jane, J. Espaulella-Panicot
Summary: The patient-centered prescription model improved medication adherence and effective prescribing in older patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The intervention led to increased proportion of adherent patients, improved mean PDC, reduced number of long-term medications, decreased proportion of patients exposed to hyperpolypharmacy, simplified medication regimen complexity, and decreased potential inappropriate prescribing.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Yong Zhao, Jianchun Wang, Xiaojuan Zhu, Xiyu Zhang, Yahui Zhang, Wen Zhang, Yan Dong
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence of multimorbidity and polypharmacy in hospitalized older patients. It found that multimorbidity was highly prevalent and polypharmacy was common. Factors such as older age, polypharmacy, and prolonged hospitalization were associated with more morbidities. Age, number of morbidities, and hospitalization duration were potential risk factors for all-cause death. However, the number of medications and polypharmacy were associated with a decreased risk of mortality.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Claudia Salm, Julia Sauer, Nadine Binder, Aline Pfefferle, Mario Sofroniou, Gloria Metzner, Erik Farin-Glattacker, Sebastian Voigt-Radloff, Andy Maun
Summary: This study examines the association between inappropriate prescribing, including Potentially Inappropriate Medications (PIMs) and Potential Prescribing Omissions (PPOs), and functional disability in older patients. The results indicate a relationship between inappropriate prescribing and functional disability.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Agnieszka Kotalczyk, Yutao Guo, Yutang Wang, Gregory Y. H. Lip
Summary: Multimorbidity and polypharmacy are common among elderly Chinese patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), and multimorbidity is an independent predictor of adverse clinical outcomes. The use of oral anticoagulants (OAC) is safe and significantly improves survival in AF patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Celeste Burness, Carla Corbet, Kebede Beyene, Caitlin Webby, Charlotte Nankivell, Patrick Cabasag, Kinita Hari, Allen Fraser, Sarah Gray, Jeff Harrison, Amy Hai Yan Chan
Summary: The study found a high prevalence of high-dose antipsychotic prescribing and antipsychotic polypharmacy in mental health service users in New Zealand. Factors associated with high-dose antipsychotic prescribing include being male, Māori, on compulsory treatment, having a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and polypharmacy.
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Maria Teresa Chiarelli, Stefania Antoniazzi, Laura Cortesi, Luca Pasina, Alessio Novella, Francesca Venturini, Alessandro Nobili, Pier Mannuccio Mannucci
Summary: Collaboration between hospital pharmacists and clinicians in identifying and resolving medication-related problems in multimorbid older patients can effectively reduce inappropriate prescriptions and harmful drug interactions. The study highlights the feasibility and mutual acceptance of a trajectory of recognition and reconciliation in medication optimization for older patients admitted to medical wards.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Elnaz Faramarzi, Mohammd Hossein Somi, Helda Tutunchi, Hanieh Almaspour, Sarvin Sanaie, Sanaz Asemani
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the association between parity number and multimorbidity and polypharmacy among women in the Azar Cohort Study. The results showed that as the parity number increased, there was a higher prevalence of multimorbidity, polypharmacy, chronic diseases, and abdominal obesity. These findings have important implications for preventing diseases and premature mortality among highly parous women.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Gillian Libby, Zachary Zimmer, Andrew Kingston, Clove Haviva, Chi-Tsun Chiu, Mary Beth Ofstedal, Yasuhiko Saito, Carol Jagger
Summary: The study found that in European countries, higher levels of private prayer, importance of religion, and belief in God were associated with lower healthy life expectancy at age 20, especially in women. This may explain the inequalities in healthy life expectancy between European countries.
JOURNAL OF RELIGION & HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Gemma Spiers, Elisabeth Boulton, Lynne Corner, Dawn Craig, Stuart Parker, Chris Todd, Barbara Hanratty
Summary: This study analyzes existing data to understand the concerns of people living with multiple long-term conditions and identify priorities for future research. The findings highlight the inadequate care received by older people with multiple long-term conditions and emphasize the need for a holistic approach to care. Future research and policy should focus on these key areas to provide effective and meaningful support for people living with multiple long-term conditions.
POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Gemma Frances Spiers, Jennifer E. Liddle, Daniel Stow, Ben Searle, Ishbel Orla Whitehead, Andrew Kingston, Suzanne Moffatt, Fiona E. Matthews, Barbara Hanratty
Summary: This study aims to explore the best ways to measure the socioeconomic position of older people, and identifies 20 different measurement approaches. The study found that few studies considered the pathways the chosen measures intended to capture. The validity of subjective measures and measures assuming shared income and educational capital should be verified in older populations.
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
(2022)
Review
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Gemma Frances Spiers, Tafadzwa Patience Kunonga, Daniel Stow, Alex Hall, Andrew Kingston, Oleta Williams, Fiona Beyer, Peter Bower, Dawn Craig, Chris Todd, Barbara Hanratty
Summary: This systematic review examines factors associated with unmet need for support to maintain independence in later life. The findings indicate that being male, younger age, living alone, lower income, poor self-rated health, functional limitations, and severity of depression are linked to unmet need. Other factors and barriers, such as care eligibility criteria, care quality and adequacy, and cultural and language barriers, also contribute to unmet need. Ongoing monitoring of unmet need is crucial for achieving equal ageing and equitable access to care.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Laurie E. Davies, Adam Todd, Louise Robinson, Andrew Kingston
Summary: The study found that each additional medication prescribed is associated with a 10% decreased chance of recovery from low dependence to independence in very old people.
Correction
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Laurie E. Davies, Andrew Kingston, Adam Todd, Barbara Hanratty
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACY
(2022)
Article
Primary Health Care
Joy Adamson, Helen Hanson, Adam Todd, Rachel Duncan, Barbara Hanratty, Louise Robinson
Summary: This study explores the experiences of medication management among nonagenarians and its implications for primary care practice. The findings indicate that most older people do not experience significant problems with medication management. Taking medications becomes a habitual part of daily routines and is generally accepted. However, disruptions to steady states, such as new medical diagnoses or major life events, can cause challenges in medication management.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF GENERAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Ben Searle, Robert O. Barker, Daniel Stow, Gemma F. Spiers, Fiona Pearson, Barbara Hanratty
Summary: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials found that advance care planning and influenza vaccination can effectively reduce unscheduled hospital admissions of long-term care facility residents. Other interventions that show effectiveness include involvement of nurse practitioners/specialists, palliative care intervention, and enhancing access to intravenous therapies in long-term care facilities.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Andrew Sturrock, Susan M. Bissett, Marco Carrozzo, Rachel Lish, Debora Howe, Sue Mountain, Michael Nugent, James O'Hara, Philip M. Preshaw, Adam Todd, Scott Wilkes
Summary: This study aimed to explore pharmacists' perceptions of and attitudes towards the early identification and referral of patients with signs and symptoms indicating potential diagnosis of head and neck cancer (HNC) in community pharmacy settings. Four key themes emerged: opportunity and access, knowledge gap, referral pathways and workloads, and utilization of clinical decision support tools. The findings suggest that community pharmacies could provide valuable support for HNC awareness initiatives and earlier identification and referral, but further research and training are needed to integrate pharmacists into cancer referral pathways and deliver optimal patient care.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Laurie E. Davies, Adam Todd, David R. Sinclair, Louise Robinson, Andrew Kingston
Summary: Using Newcastle 85+ Study data and mixed-effects modelling, the association between polypharmacy and difficulty taking medications was investigated among 85-year-olds living at home. The study found that disability, visual impairment, and cognitive impairment were significant predictors, suggesting that these factors play a more important role than the number of medications prescribed.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Nursing
Helen Anderson, Arabella Scantlebury, Paul Galdas, Joy Adamson
Summary: This study explores the experiences of nurses working in general practice during the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluates the impact on nurses' professional well-being. The findings reveal that nurses face various challenges, such as lack of recognition, feeling undervalued, and lack of involvement in decision-making. These issues have significant implications for nurse retention in general practice and the future of the nursing profession.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING
(2023)
Article
Nursing
Helen Anderson, Arabella Scantlebury, Paul Galdas, Joy Adamson
Summary: The study explores how nurses working in general practice during the COVID-19 pandemic engage with remote and technology-mediated working. It identifies specific issues of access to technology, workload, hybrid working, disruption to therapeutic relationships, safety risks, and lack of involvement in decision-making.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING
(2023)