The Consultant pharmacist : the journal of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists
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Multicenter Study
Polypharmacy in Assisted Living and Impact on Clinical Outcomes.
The purpose of this study was to describe medication use and polypharmacy in assisted living settings. We hypothesized that: 1) age, gender, race, setting, multi-morbidity, and cognitive status would influence polypharmacy; and 2) polypharmacy would be associated with falls, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. ⋯ Continued research is needed to explore the factors that influence polypharmacy. Identification of these factors will help guide deprescribing so that medication management does not harm older adults physically or cause unnecessary financial burden.