Abstract
Background: Preventable drug-related morbidity (PDRM) is an issue of special concern in geriatric medicine. The objective of this study was to determine the incident-event rate of PDRM in older adults in one area of Nova Scotia, Canada. Methods: The study population consisted of seniors enrolled in the Nova Scotia Pharmacare program in the western part of the Halifax Regional Municipality. Claims information for all inpatient admissions, emergency room and physician office visits, ambulatory prescription medication use, and laboratory results was contained within a database. PDRM indicators were developed in a previous stage of the study. The incident-event rate was determined by (1) identifying the number of occurrences for each outcome associated with the indicators and (2) identifying the number of outcomes that followed a specified pattern of care. Results: The study population consisted of 22,453 older adults. The computerized search identified 29,796 outcomes, 3,277 of which matched the associated pattern of care and were thus considered occurrences of PDRM. The incident-event rate of PDRM in seniors in Nova Scotia was 110 instances of PDRM per 1,000 occurrences. Conclusions: This study has helped quantify the magnitude of the problem of PDRM in older adults in this region of Nova Scotia.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 159-163 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Canadian Journal of Geriatrics |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| State | Published - 2006 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Medication use
- Prescribing
- Preventable drug-related morbidity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Gerontology
- Geriatrics and Gerontology