Medication management at home: medication risk factor prevalence and inter-relationships.
OBJECTIVE
Patients can have medication-related risk factors associated with poor health outcomes that become evident through visiting them in their homes. These medication-related risk factors may not be apparent in pharmacy and general practitioner (GP) records. The aim was to determine the prevalence and inter-relationships of medication-related risk factors for poor patient health outcomes identifiable through 'in-home' observations.


METHODS
The design was a cross-sectional study of 204 general practice patients living in their own homes and at risk of medication-related poor health outcomes. Medication-related risk factors were identified in the patients' homes by community pharmacists and GPs.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of risk factors varied from 8.3% (multiple medication storage locations) to 55.9% (confused by generic and trade names). There were many relationships observed between the medication-related risk factors, with expired medication having the most relationships with other risk factors followed by therapeutic duplication and poor adherence (9, 6 and 6 relationships respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Visiting patients' homes may identify medication-related risk factors not otherwise apparent through patient visits to the health practitioner when medications may be brought for review (i.e. 'brown bag' reviews).
Sorensen
L
L
Department of Medicine, Therapeutics Research Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, Qld, Australia. les@pharmakon.dk
Stokes
J A
JA
Purdie
D M
DM
Woodward
M
M
Roberts
M S
MS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services; D015995:Prevalence; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012646:Self Administration / Q000009:adverse effects*