| Medication Assessments by Care Managers Reveal Potential Safety Issues in Homebound Older Adults (April). | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 21487081 Owner: NLM Status: Publisher |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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BACKGROUND: Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates are not covered under many Medicare drug benefit plans; hence, their use by homebound older adults is largely unreported. Furthermore, the tiered design of Medicare drug formularies may in fact promote the use of older but potentially inappropriate medications. Little is known about the use of these medications in the homebound older adult population. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of the use by homebound older adults of OTC drugs, dietary supplements (vitamins, minerals, and herbal products), Part D-excluded medications (benzodiazepines and barbiturates), and potentially inappropriate medications (according to Beers criteria). METHODS: Patients were enrollees in a home and community-based Medicaid waiver provider. All clients were older than 65 and were dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. All clients met Florida Medicaid's medical and financial criteria for nursing home placement. The medication list was obtained by geriatric care managers during a home assessment. RESULTS: A total of 3911 older adults (mean [SD] age 83.6 [8.0] years) were taking an average of 9.9 [4.8] drugs. Of these individuals, 74.5% were using an OTC medication, 41.9% were using a dietary supplement, 29.6% were using a benzodiazepine or barbiturate, and 25.2% were using at least 1 potentially inappropriate medication. CONCLUSIONS: Based on data gathered by a geriatric care management assessment, we found that most of the homebound older adults enrolled in our study used medications not included in their Medicare drug benefit. The use of potentially inappropriate medications was also common in this population. Future drug safety initiatives involving the elderly will benefit from engaging care managers in identifying and addressing the potential hazards posed by commonly used prescribed and nonprescribed medications. |
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Authors:
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Adam G Golden; Dingxi Qiu; Bernard A Roos |
Publication Detail:
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Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE Date: 2011-4-12 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: The Annals of pharmacotherapy Volume: - ISSN: 1542-6270 ISO Abbreviation: - Publication Date: 2011 Apr |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2011-4-13 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 9203131 Medline TA: Ann Pharmacother Country: - |
Other Details:
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Languages: ENG Pagination: - Citation Subset: - |
Affiliation:
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University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL; Associate Chief of Staff, Geriatrics and Extended Care, Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL. |
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From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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