Background: To implement medication management service in Korean nursing home (NH), medication review tool for residents in Korean long-term care facilities was developed. This prospective pilot study aimed to verify the applicability of this newly developed tool and to evaluate the drug related problems (DRPs) identified by pharmacists’ medication review in NH setting. Methods: This study was carried out in two NHs in Korea. The elderly residents (65 or older) using 5 or more medications were eligible. Pharmacists conducted medication review and identified the DRPs and potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) based on the newly developed tool. Results: Among 43 NH residents, 27 residents agreed to participate. The median age was 87 and about 55.6% of them were taking 10 or more medications. Pharmacists identified a total of 37 PIMs in 18 NH residents (66.7%) and 54 DRPs in 22 residents (81.5%). The most frequent PIM was general-PIM (26 cases) followed by PIM under specific diseases or conditions (7 cases). Out of 77 items contained in the tool, 15 items were detected in study participants. ‘Continued use or regular daily use of hypnotics’ was the most highly detected item (9 cases) followed by ‘multiple prescriptions within each class of hypnotics/sedatives’ (5 cases). Among 54 DRPs identified, pharmacist intervened 39 cases (72.2%) and interventions were accepted in 18 cases (46.1%). Conclusion This pilot study demonstrated that newly developed tool is feasible for the nursing home residents. However, further studies with larger population are warranted.

Background: and Objective: The use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) increases the risk of negative health outcomes, including drug-related admissions. Tools for structured medication review have been developed to ensure optimal medication use and safety. Here, we aimed to evaluate medication use review (MUR) tools for community-dwelling older patients. Methods: We performed a systematic review of the literature according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalyses Statement (PRISMA). We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from 1991 to 2020, excluding tools that are specifically applied to hospitalized patients or nursing home residents. We identified the most common inappropriate medications, drug-disease interactions, drug-drug interactions and prescribing omissions presented among tools. Results: From among 9,788 identified reports screened, 60 met our inclusion criteria; finally, 27 were eligible for data analysis considering originality and up-to-dateness. Most tools presented explicit criteria (93%), and only one was specific to community-dwelling elderly. The most common PIM was tricyclic antidepressants. Use of diltiazem and verapamil in patients with heart failure and the combination of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics and warfarin were the most frequent disease-specific PIM and druginteraction, respectively. Conclusions Although several medication review tools have been developed for older adults, specific guidelines for community-dwelling populations remain limited. Furthermore, the list of PIMs differed among available tools. In future, specific but integrating MUR tools need to be developed for clinical practice considering this population.

Background: and Objective: The use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) increases the risk of negative health outcomes, including drug-related admissions. Tools for structured medication review have been developed to ensure optimal medication use and safety. Here, we aimed to evaluate medication use review (MUR) tools for community-dwelling older patients. Methods: We performed a systematic review of the literature according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalyses Statement (PRISMA). We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from 1991 to 2020, excluding tools that are specifically applied to hospitalized patients or nursing home residents. We identified the most common inappropriate medications, drug-disease interactions, drug-drug interactions and prescribing omissions presented among tools. Results: From among 9,788 identified reports screened, 60 met our inclusion criteria; finally, 27 were eligible for data analysis considering originality and up-to-dateness. Most tools presented explicit criteria (93%), and only one was specific to community-dwelling elderly. The most common PIM was tricyclic antidepressants. Use of diltiazem and verapamil in patients with heart failure and the combination of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics and warfarin were the most frequent disease-specific PIM and druginteraction, respectively. Conclusions Although several medication review tools have been developed for older adults, specific guidelines for community-dwelling populations remain limited. Furthermore, the list of PIMs differed among available tools. In future, specific but integrating MUR tools need to be developed for clinical practice considering this population.