A Comprehensive Evaluation of Studies on the Adverse Effects of Medications in Australian Aged care Facilities: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Aim: this scoping review was designed to identify studies that assess adverse drug reactions (ADRs) for older people in Australian aged care facilities. This review critically evaluates each published study to identify the risk of, or actual, adverse drug events in older people. Inclusion criteria: this review considered any clinical studies that examined the adverse effects of medications in older people who were living in aged care facilities. This review considered qualitative studies, analytical studies, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), descriptive cross-sectional studies, and analytic observational studies that explored the use of medications and their adverse effects on older people in clinical settings (including aged care facilities). Methods: an initial search of the PubMed (United State National Library of Medicine), OvidSP, EBSCOHost, ScienceDirect, Wiley Online, SAGE, and SCOPUS databases, with full text was performed, followed by an analysis of the article’s title and abstract. Additionally, MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) was used to describe the article. The initial round of the database search was based on inclusion criteria from studies that assessed tools or protocols aiming to identify the adverse effects of medications on the elderly population suffering chronic conditions or multiple co-morbidities. Two reviewers screened the retrieved papers for inclusion. The data presented in this review are in tabular forms and accompanied by a narrative summary which aligns with the review’s objectives. Results: seven studies were identified, and the extracted data from these studies were grouped according their characteristics and the auditing results of each study. Conclusion: it would be beneficial to design a comprehensive or broadly adverse drug reaction assessment tool derived from Australian data that has been used on the elderly in an Australian healthcare setting.

Prevalence and Preventability of Adverse Medicine Events in a Sample of Australian Aged-Care Residents: A Secondary Analysis of Data from the ReMInDAR Trial

“…This figure is likely to underestimate the true prevalence of adverse medicine events in Australian aged care, because ADRs are only one kind of adverse medicine event and residents who didn’t receive a medication review may still have experienced an ADR but were not counted in this figure. In 2020, a published scoping review of studies addressing any aspect of AEs associated with use of medicines in Australian aged-care residents identified only 7 relevant studies [ 13 ]. The studies included in the review tended to address AEs associated with specific classes or types of medicines, and the overall prevalence of AEs due to medicines was not reported [ 13 ].…”

“…In 2020, a published scoping review of studies addressing any aspect of AEs associated with use of medicines in Australian aged-care residents identified only 7 relevant studies [ 13 ]. The studies included in the review tended to address AEs associated with specific classes or types of medicines, and the overall prevalence of AEs due to medicines was not reported [ 13 ]. A study assessing AEs in 72 aged-care facilities in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory between 2013 and 2016 found 60,268 AEs documented over the 3-year period [ 14 ].…”

Clinical Trial Studies of Antipsychotics during Symptomatic Presentations of Agitation and/or Psychosis in Alzheimer’s Dementia: A Systematic Review

“…Behavioral and psychological symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are non-cognitive neuropsychiatric symptoms that occur in older people with cognitive impairment and represent a heterogeneous group of psychopathological signs. Behavioral disorders are characterized by loud vocalizations, pacing, aggression, hoarding, and walking about, while psychological disorders are characterized by apathy, depression symptoms, anxiety, delusion, and hallucinations [1]. It is a significant challenge for employees of aged care facilities and nursing homes to deal with violence perpetrated by demented people at work [2].…”

“…It is a significant challenge for employees of aged care facilities and nursing homes to deal with violence perpetrated by demented people at work [2]. Behavior and psychological disorders (such as agitation and psychosis) result in violence in dementia patients [1,2]. Approximately 90% of individuals with dementia experience this condition over their lifetime [3].…”