TY - JOUR
T1 - Medication management policy, practice and research in Australian residential aged care
T2 - current and future directions
AU - Sluggett, Janet K.
AU - Ilomäki, Jenni
AU - Seaman, Karla L.
AU - Corlis, Megan
AU - Bell, J. Simon
PY - 2017/2/1
Y1 - 2017/2/1
N2 - Eight percent of Australians aged 65 years and over receive residential aged care each year. Residents are increasingly older, frailer and have complex care needs on entry to residential aged care. Up to 63% of Australian residents of aged care facilities take nine or more medications regularly. Together, these factors place residents at high risk of adverse drug events. This paper reviews medication-related policies, practices and research in Australian residential aged care. Complex processes underpin prescribing, supply and administration of medications in aged care facilities. A broad range of policies and resources are available to assist health professionals, aged care facilities and residents to optimise medication management. These include national guiding principles, a standardised national medication chart, clinical medication reviews and facility accreditation standards. Recent Australian interventions have improved medication use in residential aged care facilities. Generating evidence for prescribing and deprescribing that is specific to residential aged care, health workforce reform, medication-related quality indicators and inter-professional education in aged care are important steps toward optimising medication use in this setting.
AB - Eight percent of Australians aged 65 years and over receive residential aged care each year. Residents are increasingly older, frailer and have complex care needs on entry to residential aged care. Up to 63% of Australian residents of aged care facilities take nine or more medications regularly. Together, these factors place residents at high risk of adverse drug events. This paper reviews medication-related policies, practices and research in Australian residential aged care. Complex processes underpin prescribing, supply and administration of medications in aged care facilities. A broad range of policies and resources are available to assist health professionals, aged care facilities and residents to optimise medication management. These include national guiding principles, a standardised national medication chart, clinical medication reviews and facility accreditation standards. Recent Australian interventions have improved medication use in residential aged care facilities. Generating evidence for prescribing and deprescribing that is specific to residential aged care, health workforce reform, medication-related quality indicators and inter-professional education in aged care are important steps toward optimising medication use in this setting.
KW - Australia
KW - Medication management
KW - Policy
KW - Quality improvement
KW - Quality use of medicines
KW - Residential aged care
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85010670113&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.phrs.2016.12.011
DO - 10.1016/j.phrs.2016.12.011
M3 - Article
C2 - 27965033
AN - SCOPUS:85010670113
VL - 116
SP - 20
EP - 28
JO - Pharmacological Research
JF - Pharmacological Research
SN - 1043-6618
ER -