title: Nursing home medication costs.
abstract: The cost of discarded drugs at a level-III nursing home was calculated for a four-year period. A significant percentage of the cost seemed to be the result of poor prescribing practices. Prescriptions for antibiotics and for psychotropic drugs (particularly PRN orders) are discussed in some detail. Medication policies were developed to improve physicians' prescribing habits in order to reduce these costs without jeopardizing the quality of care.
mesh_terms: D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000191:economics*