Browsing by Subject "vanhusten lääkehoito"

The background of this study is increase in the ageing population and in medication use. Aged-related changes in pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics may change medication response in elderly patients and lead to adverse reactions. For elderly people the risk of being hospitalized due to adverse drug reactions is four times higher than for younger people. Many of these problems could be prevented by avoiding the use of certain drugs in the elderly. Several criteria have been developed to assess medication appropriateness in the elderly. The aim of this study was to develop a new Finnish Medication Risk Assessment (MRA) tool to be used by trained nurses to assess the presence of risks related to use of medicines in outpatients aged 65 years and older. A preliminary tool was developed through a comprehensive literature review of tools to indicate appropriateness and risks of elderly medications, and through expert opinions. The tool was then validated by using three-round Delphi-method. Delphi-method is a qualitative consensus method which is based on group judgement of a subject matter. The first and the second Delphi-rounds measured the tool's suitability and the third Delphi-round measured the importance of the items of the tool in estimating risks related to the use of medications of elderly patients. In this study, 33 expert geriatric panelists were approached of whom 11 physicians, three pharmacists MSc (Pharm.) and four nurses agreed to participate. The results from the Delphi-rounds were evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively. Through the three-round Delphi-method was developed a MRA -tool that contains 19 items. According to the panelists the items of the tool are either important or moderately important. This indicates that the tool is valid to estimating medication risks in use of medications in this population. Further studies are needed to test the tool among nurses and patients. The MRA -tool was primary developed for estimating risks in medication use, but it could also be used for educational purposes. In the future, it is possible to implement safer and more appropriate pharmaceutical treatment for elderly patients by using this Medication Risk Assessment -tool.