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Inappropriate prescribing and health outcomes in elderly veteran outpatients.
- Source :
-
The Annals of pharmacotherapy [Ann Pharmacother] 1997 May; Vol. 31 (5), pp. 529-33. - Publication Year :
- 1997
-
Abstract
- Objective: To determine the relationship of inappropriate prescribing in the elderly to health outcomes.<br />Setting: General Medical Clinic of the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center.<br />Patients: A total of 208 veterans more than 65 years old who were each taking five or more drugs and participated in a pharmacist intervention trial.<br />Measurements: Prescribing appropriateness was assessed by a clinical pharmacist using the medication appropriateness index (MAI). A summed MAI score was calculated, with higher scores indicating less appropriate prescribing. The health outcomes were hospitalization, unscheduled ambulatory or emergency care visits, and blood pressure control.<br />Results: Bivariate analyses revealed that mean MAI scores at baseline were higher for those with hospital admissions (18.9 vs. 16.9, p = 0.07) and unscheduled ambulatory or emergency care visits (18.8 vs. 16.3, p = 0.05) over the subsequent 12 months than for those without admissions and emergency care visits. MAI scores for antihypertensive medications were higher for patients with inadequate blood pressure control (> 160/90 mm Hg) than for those whose blood pressure was controlled (4.7 vs. 3.1, p = 0.02).<br />Conclusions: Inappropriate prescribing appeared to be associated with adverse health outcomes. This findings needs to be confirmed in future studies that have larger samples and control for potential confounders.
- Subjects :
- Analysis of Variance
Blood Pressure drug effects
Female
Health Resources statistics & numerical data
Hospitalization
Humans
Hypertension physiopathology
Male
Prospective Studies
Treatment Outcome
Veterans
Aged
Antihypertensive Agents therapeutic use
Drug Prescriptions
Hypertension drug therapy
Medication Errors
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1060-0280
- Volume :
- 31
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- The Annals of pharmacotherapy
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 9161643
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/106002809703100501