title: Cross-national comparison of medication use in Australian and Dutch nursing homes.
abstract: cross-national comparisons can be used to explore therapeutic areas and identify potential medication issues.
  
  
  
  we used cross-sectional pharmacy supply data to explore medication use for nursing home residents in Australia (AU n = 26 homes, 1,560 residents) and the Netherlands (NL n = 6 homes, 2,037 residents). Binary logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the sex and aged adjusted odds ratios (OR) and associated 95% confidence intervals with a flexible Bonferroni-Holm procedure used to adjust for multiple hypothesis testing.
  
  
  
  total use of antipsychotics (AU: 37.7%, NL: 40.3%; OR 0.91 (0.79-1.04, P = 0.16) and antibacterials (66.8% AU, 62.4% NL, OR 1.08 (0.93-1.24, P = 0.31) was similar, but choice of individual agents differed between the two countries. Differences were observed in the use of antithrombotics (46.7% AU, 64.7% NL, OR 0.48 (0.42-0.56, P > 0.01), ophthalmologicals (44.3% AU, 22.1% NL, OR 2.80 (2.42-3.24, P < 0.001), laxatives (77.1% AU, 65.8% NL, OR 1.65 (1.41-1.92, P < 0.001).
  
  
  
  while the general prevalence of medication use in nursing home residents was similar across the two countries, distinct differences existed in the choice of agent among therapeutic groups. Comparing use between countries identified a number of potential medication related problem areas that need further exploration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Ringgold Standard Institution, Division of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutical Care, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taxis
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Ringgold Standard Institution, Division of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutical Care, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sjoerd
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kochen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Ringgold Standard Institution, Division of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutical Care, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wouters
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Groningen, Elderly Care Medicine, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Froukje
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boersma
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Bethesda Ziekenhuis Ringgold Standard Institution, Hoogeveen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan Gerard
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Maring
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis Assen WZA Ringgold Standard Institution, Assen, Drenthe, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Ringgold Standard Institution, Division of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutical Care, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jugoslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pavlovic
authors.affiliation: Webstercare Ringgold Standard Institution, Five Dock, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.affiliation: University of Sydney, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McLachlan
authors.affiliation: Macquarie University Ringgold Standard Institution, Australian Institute for Health Innovation, North Ryde, New South Wales 2109, Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Pont
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000639:trends*; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D009517:New South Wales; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000639:trends*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: aged; cross-national comparison; drug utilisation; medication; nursing homes; older people