title: Managing osteoarthritis. Medication use among seniors in the community.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine what types of medication seniors in the community were using to manage osteoarthritis (OA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Mailed self-administered survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three family medicine community practice sites in cities in Nova Scotia.
  
  
  METHODS
  All seniors (aged 65 and older) on the electronic record of each practice site with a physician-confirmed diagnosis of OA (N = 244).
  
  
  METHODS
  Proportion of seniors using prescribed medications or self-care products (nonprescribed medications and herbal and natural health products) for OA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Response rate was 78%. About 15% were using no medication, 74% were using at least one type of self-care product (60% were using nonprescribed medications, and 45% were using herbal and natural health products), and 52% were using prescribed medications alone or in combination with self-care products.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Seniors' use of prescribed and self-care products for OA is very high. Physicians must be aware that patients seeking prescriptions likely are also using self-care products. The potential for drug interactions is high; patients should be made aware of the risks associated with taking multiple products.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS. Bev.Lawson@Dal.Ca
authors.forename: Beverley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Putnam
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nicol
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Archibald
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mackillop
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Conter
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Frail
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003625:Data Collection; D004347:Drug Interactions; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D012106:Research; D012307:Risk Factors; D012651:Self Medication; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires