The American journal of geriatric pharmacotherapy
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Am J Geriatr Pharmacother · Jun 2006
Assessment of medication management by community-living elderly persons with two standardized assessment tools: a cross-sectional study.
The ability of patients to adhere to a medication regimen is imperative for achieving optimal outcomes. Elderly patients, especially those with memory loss, should be evaluated for their ability to manage medications to prevent significant drug-related problems. Assessment tools to determine the ability to manage medication therapy have not been tested in elderly patients with cognitive impairment. ⋯ The MMAA and DRUGS tools correlated positively with cognitive function in this population of community-living elderly persons but need further evaluation of their ability to predict who is at greatest risk for drug related problems due to nonadherence to medication regimens.
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Am J Geriatr Pharmacother · Jun 2006
Comparative StudyExploring racial and ethnic disparities in prescription drug spending and use among Medicare beneficiaries.
Little is known about why minority Medicare beneficiaries spend less on and use fewer prescription drugs than white Medicare beneficiaries. ⋯ Differences in factors identified in the Andersen model of access to care do not fully explain observed disparities in prescription drug use and spending. The portion of the disparities due to race and ethnicity may reflect patients' skepticism about medicine and medical care in general, patients' adherence to medical advice, patient-physician communication, physicians' prescribing habits, and usual source of care. Future research should explore whether these and other unobserved factors associated with race and ethnicity are responsible for disparities in drug spending and use.
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Am J Geriatr Pharmacother · Mar 2006
Impact of second-generation antipsychotics on the use of antiparkinson agents in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.
It is not known whether the reduced risk of motor adverse effects with second-generation antipsychotics (SGAPs) translates into less use of antiparkinson drugs (APDs). ⋯ These results provide the first nationally representative estimate of the concomitant use of APDs and antipsychotic drugs among older individuals in long-term care settings. The decrease in concomitant use of APDs and antipsychotics when SGAPs were used in NHs suggests an association between the use of SGAPs and a reduction in the prescribing cascade, in which one drug is used to treat the adverse effects of another. The results also suggest that some Medicare beneficiaries in ALFs may be continued on APDs despite changes in the prescribing of antipsychotic agents, implying a need for better medication-management practices in these institutions.
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Am J Geriatr Pharmacother · Mar 2006
Meta AnalysisEfficacy and tolerability of solifenacin in elderly subjects with overactive bladder syndrome: a pooled analysis.
Overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome is characterized by urinary frequency and urgency with or without urge incontinence, and often accompanied by nocturia. The prevalence of OAB increases with aging; it is a particularly common condition among the elderly, affecting at least 25% of people aged > or = 65 years. ⋯ In these pooled analyses, solifenacin 5 and 10 mg once daily were efficacious and well tolerated in the treatment of these elderly subjects with OAB. Solifenacin therapy was also associated with a high level of persistence in a 40-week extension trial.
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Am J Geriatr Pharmacother · Jan 2006
Practice GuidelineRecommendations for best practices in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in managed care.
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRDs) are increasingly recognized as important causes of impaired cognition, function, and quality of life, as well as excess medical care utilization and costs in the elderly Medicare managed care population. Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for ADRDs were published in 2001. More recent studies have resulted in the approval of new agents and demonstrated an expanded role for antidementia therapy in various types of dementia, settings of care, stages of disease, and the use of combination therapy. However, these clinical guidelines have not been updated in the past few years. ⋯ The recommendations of the expert panel represent a clear consensus that nihilism in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of ADRDs is unwarranted, impairs quality of care, and is ultimately not costeffective.