Anticholinergic and sedative medication use in older community-dwelling people: A national population study in the Netherlands.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To identify the proportion of older adults with a high anticholinergic/sedative load and to identify patient subgroups based on type of central nervous system (CNS)-active medication used.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of a nationwide sample of patients with anticholinergic/sedative medications dispensed by 1779 community pharmacies in the Netherlands (90% of all community pharmacies) in November 2016 was conducted. Patients aged older than 65 years with a high anticholinergic/sedative load defined as having a drug burden index (DBI) greater than 1 were included. Proportion of patients with a high anticholinergic/sedative load was calculated by dividing the number of individuals in our study population by the 2.4 million older patients using medications dispensed f

SUBMITTER: van der Meer HG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6593836 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature