Medication-related problems in patients referred to aged care and memory clinics at a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of medication-related problems (MRPs) in patients attending aged care and memory disorder clinics and explore the potential role of a clinical pharmacist to obtain medication histories and identify unresolved MRPs. Methods: The clinical pharmacist interviewed patients and reviewed their medication regimens in the outpatient clinics. Clinical significance of pharmacist-identified MRPs was rated by an independent expert panel using validated criteria. Results: Forty-six patients (mean age 82 years) were reviewed. They took a median of nine medications, of which three were not recorded in the medical record. One hundred and thirteen MRPs (median 2.0 per patien..