Potentially inappropriate prescribing among Australian veterans and war widows/widowers.
This study examined the extent of potentially inappropriate medicine, as defined by explicit criteria, dispensed to Australian veterans using the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Pharmacy Claims database. Twenty-one per cent of the 192,363 veterans aged 70 years, with an eligible gold card, were dispensed at least one potentially inappropriate medicine in the first 6 months of 2005. Long-acting benzodiazepines, amitriptyline, amiodarone, oxybutynin and doxepin were the medicines most commonly implicated. Strategies to support quality prescribing of medicines to the elderly must include a focus on these medicines.
Roughead
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Sansom Institute, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia. libby.roughead@unisa.edu.au
Anderson
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Gilbert
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D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000639:trends; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000639:trends; D014728:Veterans; D014857:Warfare; D017805:Widowhood