title: Prescription drugs in nursing homes: managing costs and quality in a complex environment.
abstract: This brief provides a description of prescription drug use in nursing homes and a summary of current policy issues in this area. The brief first profiles the nursing home pharmaceutical market, outlining the major trends in demographics and drug utilization, the supply chain by which drugs go from manufacturers to pharmacies to nursing home residents, and the alternative arrangements by which prescription drugs in nursing homes are financed. The brief then provides a synopsis of current policy issues, focusing in turn on cost containment and quality improvement initiatives.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mendelson
authors.forename: Rajeev
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramchand
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abramson
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tumlinson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003363:Cost Control / Q000191:economics; D016527:Drug Costs; D004345:Drug Industry; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000191:economics; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives