journal articles
OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF DRUG USE AMONG ELDERLY AT HOME AND IN NURSING HOMES IN FRANCE
L. Duco, C. Legendre, N. Cohen, C. Blochet, P. Demornandie, J.-F. Huon, B. Sabatier, O. Saint-Jean
Jour Nursing Home Res 2016;2:71-75
Objective: Describe recent use of medication in France in the advanced in age who live at home or in nursing homes. Design: Observational study, data collected the fourth quarter 2011. Setting: Community dwelling older (≥70 years old) and elderly living in nursing homes (>70 years old). Participants: 72 556 patients living at home, covered by at least one of the three health insurance schemes in France (Echantillon Généraliste des Beneficiares) and 5867 patients in nursing homes. Measurement: The subjects aged 70 or over in the two databases are divided into 10-year ranges. For each of which, we determined the percentage use of medication, the number of drugs per person, and the percentage of users of each drug in the 74 categories according to the Anatomical Therapeutic and Chemical. Results: The patients living at home used 8.7 drugs on average, and 7.7 by patients from nursing homes. 87.4% of elderly patients living at home and 99.3% of elderly in institution were using medication during the study period. The drug classes most used were analgesics, psychotropic medications, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal drugs. Antidepressants such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, anxiolytics, and antipsychotic medication were prescribed in respectively 27.9%, 38.8%, and 22.3% of patients in nursing homes versus 9.6%, 23.6%, and 4.4% of patients living at home. Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors and beta-blockers were prescribed more among patients living at home. Statin use was greater among elderly living at home than in nursing homes (35% versus 19%). Conclusion: Our data confirm that the elderly in France consume large amounts of medication, whether they live at home or in nursing homes. Extensive use of medication among the elderly and doubts regarding its misuse highlight the importance of reviewing prescriptions during a comprehensive geriatric assessment.
CITATION:
L. Duco ; C. Legendre ; N. Cohen ; C. Blochet ; P. Demornandie ; J.-F. Huon ; B. Sabatier ; O. Saint-Jean (2016): Observational study of drug use among elderly at home and in nursing homes in France. The Journal of Nursing Home Research Science (JNHRS). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jnhrs.2016.10