Drug Aging
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The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines have been promulgated to improve the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). ⋯ Hospitalisation resulted in increased adherence to GOLD guidelines in patients with COPD, but the rate of use of anticholinergics was distinctly low and that of methylxanthines and mucolytics surprisingly high. A carry-over effect (i.e. of therapy prescribed by general practitioners on that prescribed by hospital-based physicians) likely accounts for most of the 'variant prescriptions' seen at discharge from the acute care hospital.
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Although older adults are frequent consumers of prescription drugs and increasingly the intended audience of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) marketing efforts, little is known about the effect of DTCA on older adults' prescription drug-seeking behaviour. In response, the objective of this study is to examine factors associated with requesting a prescription drug from a physician following exposure to DTCA among older adults, and whether the drug or other medical treatment was prescribed during the encounter. ⋯ Overall, results from the study suggest that DTCA influences the patient-doctor relationship and prescription drug acquisition behaviour of patients; however, the nature of the effect of DTCA on older adults is complex. Because future cohorts of older adults may be more comfortable about requesting prescription drugs and the consumer-driven approach to obtaining medical care, understanding the impact of DTCA on older consumers represents an important area for further inquiry.