Quality of medication records and use of pharmacy resources in community residential care facilities.

BACKGROUND

In community residential care (CRC) facilities, medication administration is often performed by unlicensed personnel with minimal knowledge in medication use. Medication management is one of the top 3 quality-of-care issues facing these facilities.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the type of medication assistance residents received, determine the proportion of facilities that used pharmacy resources, and examine the quality of facility medication records in CRC facilities (eg, adult family homes, adult residential care, assisted living facilities).

METHODS

Baseline in-person interviews were conducted with 349 residents and 299 facility providers in the Puget Sound region of Washington. Information was also obtained from facility medication records at enrollment and state databases. A pharmacist determined quality of the records using a standardized form.

RESULTS

The average resident was a 78-year-old white female taking 7 drugs. Medication records that were computer generated were significantly less likely to have misspelled names of drugs and errors in or absence of dose, directions for use, and route of administration. Overall, 26.3% of facilities reported that a consultant pharmacist reviewed residents' medication lists, 52.0% reported the use of preprinted lists, and 75.6% received prepackaged medications from the pharmacy. Adult family homes, the smallest facility type, were the least likely to use pharmacy-related services.

CONCLUSIONS

The quality of handwritten medication records was a concern in CRC facilities. These facilities may benefit from services offered by pharmacies that may enhance medication management, many of which were underutilized.