Abstract
Objective: To investigate the dispensing, administration and omission of medications in residential aged care (RAC) homes in New Zealand (NZ). Methods: Secondary data from a medication management database were analysed, to identify the most frequently omitted regular medications and commonly reported reasons for omissions in a sample of 11 015 residents across 374 RAC homes. Results: Overall, 3.59 medication doses were omitted per 100 (±7.4) prescribed doses per resident (SD 7.43). Common regular medications omitted ranged from analgesics to psychotropic medications. Recording of justifications for medication omissions was inconsistent—only 48% of omissions had a recorded reason. Conclusions: A wide range of medications are regularly prescribed and administered to RAC home residents in NZ. Omitted doses are frequently recorded without a justification. Inconsistent recording of omissions can increase potential for error, particularly in relation to psychotropic medications. More consistent recording may help staff to maintain a high standard of quality care.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | e490-e497 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Australasian Journal on Ageing |
Volume | 39 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2020 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- aged care
- geriatric medicine
- new zealand
- nursing homes
- psychotropic drugs