title: Medication use in community-dwelling older people: pharmacoepidemiology of psychotropic utilisation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psychotropic medications have a significant adverse drug event profile, particularly in older adults, and appropriate use is paramount. Patterns of prescribing in community-dwelling older adults in New Zealand remain unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to determine the prevalence and the pattern of psychotropic use amongst community-dwelling older people in New Zealand and to identify any association between depressive symptomatology and psychotropic medication use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected on the demographics, medication use and mood status of community-dwelling older adults from two New Zealand studies: the BRIGHT trial, which recruited potentially disabled participants (N=141) and the DeLLITE trial, which recruited potentially depressed participants (N=193). The prevalence and the pattern of psychotropic use were established and the gender, age and level of depression assessed using regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The use of any psychotropic medication was 28.9% in the BRIGHT trial and 43.5% in the DeLLITE trial. Antidepressants were the most commonly used psychotropic medication in the two studies, followed by hypnotics and sedatives. Psychotropic use was highly correlated with the presence of depressive symptoms in the BRIGHT trial and with female gender in the DeLLITE trial. Age was not associated with psychotropic medication use. In both studies, there is possible underdiagnosed, undertreated and inappropriately treated depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of psychotropic medication use is high in community-dwelling older people with disability and very high in community-dwelling older people with depressive symptoms, but varies by gender and level of depression.
authors.affiliation: Apotheke im Kloster Paradiese, Soest, Germany.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schäfers
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Nataly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moyes
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayman
authors.affiliation: Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Canada and Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zolezzi
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Trauma Research Centre, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Ngaire
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kerse
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D017891:Pharmacoepidemiology; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs