The use of nonprescription medicines among elderly patients with chronic illness and their need for pharmacist interventions.

OBJECTIVE

The use of over-the-counter (OTC) products and complementary medicines (CM) often results in adverse events. Little is known about the type of pharmacist interventions needed by elderly patients to optimize their use of such products. This study examines the prevalence of OTC/CM products used among chronically ill elderly patients and the types of pharmacist interventions the patients need. Gender differences were also investigated.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Homes of 51 patients recruited from a major metropolitan hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

PATIENTS

Fifty-one elderly patients with chronic illness referred to the Outreach Medication Review program.

INTERVENTION

Pharmacists' interventions to optimize the use of OTC/CM products.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Number of OTC/CM products used and the number and type of pharmacists' interventions.

RESULTS

80.4% of patients were using OTC products, while 21.6% used CM products. Many OTC products were not used at the right dose, requiring pharmacists to adjust the dose in 18.7% of cases. Other patients (18.8%) were unaware of dosing regimens, while about one-third of patients needed to be educated on managing the ailment that required their use of the OTC/CM product in the first place. Men showed a nonsignificant increase in their need for pharmacist interventions.

CONCLUSION

Elderly patients in this study used OTC/CM products, often without a proper understanding of the management principles of their condition or the dosing regimens of the products they use. Men may need more pharmacist interventions in relation to their use of OTC/CM products. Pharmacists should offer comprehensive advice on managing presenting ailments and requests for OTC/CM products.