ABSTRACT
Objective:To analyze drug-related problems (DRPs) of hospitalized elderly patients with limited life expectancy.Methods:A total of 261 patients aged ≥ 70 years with limited life expectancy according to the 1-year mortality prediction index, who were admitted in the geriatric ward of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2015 to December 2021 were included. According to Strand system, the categories, medications and interventions of DRPs were analyzed.Results:Among 261 patients, 187 (71.6%) had 672 DRPs. The most common DRPs were related to drug safety, including 271 (40.3%) adverse drug reactions and 149 over dosages (22.2%). A total of 207 drugs were involved in DRPs, and the top 5 classes with higher frequency of DRPs were antiinfectives for systemic use(20.7%,139/672), nervous system drugs(19.4%,130/672), alimentary tract and metabolism drugs(16.5%,111/672), cardiovascular system drugs(16.1%,108/672), and blood and hemopoietic organs drugs(13.7%,92/672). The recommendations were given by pharmacists for all 672 DRPs, and 643 were accepted by physicians (95.7%). The therapy need to be adjusted in 564 recommendations and the medications need to be monitored in 108 recommendations. In recommendations of therapy adjustment, 49.6%(280/564) were related to deprescribing. The deprescribing with higher frequency included antiinfectives for systemic use(29.6%, 83/280), lipid modifying agents(7.9%,22/280) and antithrombotic agents(7.9%,22/280). Patients with severe disability had significantly higher average DRPs(2 vs. 1) and average deprescribing(1 vs. 0) than patients without severe disability( Z=-4.83, Z=-3.61, all P<0.001). Conclusion:Drug safety is the most common DRP in limited life expectancy elderly inpatients, particularly for those with severe disability.
ABSTRACT
Remote pharmaceutical care refers to the process that pharmacists provide pharmaceutical care to patients remotely through information technology. Remote pharmaceutical care in China starts late and develops slowly. Therefore ，this paper discusses the pharmaceutical care modes that pharmacists at home and abroad can provide under the remote mode by collecting literature. The results show that foreign remote pharmaceutical care starts early and is relatively mature. The service mainly included remote follow-up and intervention ，24-hour online prescription and order review ，24-hour online drug reorganization ，and guidance on rational drug use in remote areas or community hospitals. The service population covers patients with cardiovascular disease ， diabetes，asthma，AIDS and so on. Some hospitals have established an integrated pharmaceutical care system of “Internet+Medical Consortium”in China ，with which pharmacists can provide patients with pharmaceutical care such as remote follow-up and intervention，drug consultation and so on. With the promotion of telemedicine ，domestic pharmacists can gradually expand the scope of services ，expand pharmaceutical services such as remote consultation and remote popular science push ，and realize the sharing of high-quality pharmaceutical care for the whole people.
ABSTRACT
Based on the ongoing clinical experiences at our outpatient pharmacy and geriatrics multidisciplinary inpatient and outpatient services,we believe that polypharmacy among elderly patients is serious and pervasive in China.This observation is supported by the findings from literature review.To help address this serious issue in senior care,we recommend to gain better understanding of age-related physiological changes of the elderly as well as those in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics,and to conduct prescription review and medication reconciliation.The multi-and interdisciplinary approach employed by modern geriatrics care model,involving doctors,pharmacists and nurses,should further help address this issue and promote rational use of pharmaceuticals in the elderly patients.