Anticholinergic medicines use among older adults before and after initiating dementia medicines.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

We investigated anticholinergic medicines use among older adults initiating dementia medicines.

Methods

We used Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme dispensing claims to identify patients who initiated donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine or memantine between 1 January 2013 and 30 June 2017 (after a period of ≥180 days with no dispensing of these medicines) and remained on therapy for ≥180 days (n = 4393), and dispensed anticholinergic medicines in the 180 days before and after initiating dementia medicines. We further examined anticholinergic medicines prescribed by a prescriber other than the one initiating dementia medicines.

Results

One-third of the study cohort (1439/4393) was exposed to anticholinergic medicines up to 180 days before or after initiating dementia

SUBMITTER: Narayan SW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6710547 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature