A Province-wide, Cross-sectional Study of Demographics and Medication Use of Patients in Hemodialysis Units Across Ontario.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Hemodialysis patients are at an increased risk of polypharmacy as they have the highest pill burden of all chronically ill patient populations, with an estimated average of 12 medications per day.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate prescribing patterns of outpatient medications in patients receiving in-center hemodialysis. This was done to identify potential candidate medications for future quality improvement initiations to optimize prescribing.

Design

We conducted a descriptive retrospective cross-sectional study in the province of Ontario, Canada, using several linked health care databases housed at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES).

Setting

We considered outpatient medications dispensed to patients eligible for t

SUBMITTER: Battistella M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5858734 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature