The American journal of geriatric pharmacotherapy
-
Am J Geriatr Pharmacother · Dec 2011
Detection and prevention of drug-drug interactions in the hospitalized elderly: utility of new cytochrome p450-based software.
Polypharmacy increases the risk of cytochrome P450-based drug-drug interactions (CYP450-DDIs), leading to decreased therapeutic efficacy or increased drug toxicity. ⋯ Use of the InterMED-Rx software identified elderly patients at risk for pharmacokinetic interactions and facilitated interventions aimed at reducing adverse drug events. Although consensus can be reached among pharmacists on how to intervene for many CYP450-DDI scenarios, certain situations allow for multiple intervention strategies.
-
Am J Geriatr Pharmacother · Dec 2011
ReviewMedication use and functional status decline in older adults: a narrative review.
Functional status is the cornerstone of geriatric care and serves as an indicator of general well-being. A decline in function can increase health care use, worsen quality of life, threaten independence, and increase the risk of mortality. One of several risk factors for decline in functional status is medication use. ⋯ Benzodiazepines and anticholinergics have been consistently associated with impairments in functional status in the elderly. The relationships between suboptimal prescribing, antidepressants, and antihypertensives and functional status decline were mixed. Further research using established measures and methods is needed to better describe the impact of medication use on functional status in older adults.
-
Am J Geriatr Pharmacother · Dec 2011
Comparative StudyImpact of a multidisciplinary intervention on antibiotic use for nursing home-acquired pneumonia.
Academic detailing in nursing homes (NHs) has been shown to improve drug use patterns and adherence to guidelines. ⋯ The ability of this multifaceted study to repeatedly remind nursing staff of the importance of timely antibiotic administration contrasts with its limited academic detailing interaction with clinicians. This difference within the intervention may explain the differential impact of the intervention on antibiotic guideline adherence.