The American journal of geriatric pharmacotherapy
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Am J Geriatr Pharmacother · Aug 2011
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyMedication discrepancies identified at time of hospital discharge in a geriatric population.
It has been reported that 14.1% of geriatric patients experience ≥1 medication discrepancies after hospitalization. ⋯ Medication discrepancies at the time of hospital discharge are a common occurrence for geriatric patients. Physician summaries might be the least reliable source of discharge medication lists. The number of discrepancies appears to not be associated with patient age, but rather with the number of medications at discharge. Discrepancies among medication lists are common, and the presence of a pharmacist may reduce the number that occur.
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Am J Geriatr Pharmacother · Aug 2011
Comparative StudyOut-of-pocket drug costs and drug utilization patterns of postmenopausal Medicare beneficiaries with osteoporosis.
The Medicare Part D coverage gap has been associated with lower adherence and drug utilization and higher discontinuation. Because osteoporosis has a relatively high prevalence among Medicare-eligible postmenopausal women, we examined changes in utilization of osteoporosis medications during this coverage gap. ⋯ Medication discontinuation and OOP costs among beneficiaries with osteoporosis were highest for those enrolled in Part D plans with a coverage gap. Providers should be aware of potential cost-related nonadherence among Medicare beneficiaries taking osteoporosis medications.