Medication and supplement use in older people with and without intellectual disability: An observational, cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Understanding the medication and supplement use of aging people is critical to ensuring that health service providers in primary care can optimise use of these agents. An increasing number of people with different levels of intellectual disability (ID) are living in the community and becoming for the first time substantial users of primary health care services. This, however, brings new challenges that need to be addressed at the primary health care level.

Association of anticholinergic burden with adverse effects in older people with intellectual disabilities: an observational cross-sectional study.

Background: No studies to date have investigated cumulative anticholinergic exposure and its effects in adults with intellectual disabilities.

Aims: To determine the cumulative exposure to anticholinergics and the factors associated with high exposure.

Method: A modified Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) scale score was calculated for a representative cohort of 736 people over 40 years old with intellectual disabilities, and associations with demographic and clinical factors assessed.

Factors associated with polypharmacy and excessive polypharmacy in older people with intellectual disability differ from the general population: a cross-sectional observational nationwide study.

Objectives: (1) To evaluate the prevalence of polypharmacy (5-9 medicines) and excessive polypharmacy (10+ medicines) and (2) to determine associated demographic and clinical characteristics in an ageing population with intellectual disabilities (IDs).

Design: Observational cross-sectional study.

Setting: Wave One (2009/2010) of the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA).

Sedative load and frailty among community-dwelling population aged ≥65 years.

Objective: To explore the association between use of sedative drugs and frailty.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: First wave of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), a nationally representative cohort of the community-dwelling population aged 50 years or older in Ireland.

Concurrent use of drugs and supplements in a community-dwelling population aged 50 years or more: potential benefits and risks.

Background: The use of vitamin and mineral (VMs) and non-vitamin/non-mineral supplements (non-VMs) in the general population and the older population in developed countries has increased. When combined with drugs, their use can be associated with benefit and potential risks.

Objective: The aims of this study were to determine the extent and associated factors of the combined use of drugs and VM/non-VM supplements, and to examine the potential major drug-supplement interactions

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of first-wave data of TILDA, The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, nationally representative a cohort including 8,081 community-dwelling persons aged ≥50 years.

Agreement between patient interview data on prescription medication use and pharmacy records in those aged older than 50 years varied by therapeutic group and reporting of indicated health conditions.

Objectives: To estimate the agreement between interview-ascertained medication use and pharmacy records among the population aged older than 50 years, and to identify patient-level predictors of discordance.

Study Design And Setting: The Irish Longitudinal study on Ageing is representative of community-dwelling adults aged 50 years and older in Ireland. Interview-ascertained medication data from 2,621 participants were linked to pharmacy dispensing records.

Food supplement use in the community dwelling population aged 50 and over in the Republic of Ireland.

Objective: Use of food supplements in the developed world is increasing in all age groups. With older age, the prevalence of multimorbidity and pharmacotherapy increases. Aim was to explore the prevalence of food supplement use among population aged≥50 years in Ireland and to identify factors associated with food supplement use.

Attitudes towards antimicrobial drugs among general population in Croatia, Fyrom, Greece, Hungary, Serbia and Slovenia.

Purpose: A pilot study to assess patients' attitudes towards antimicrobials (ABs) in six European countries (Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Greece, Hungary, Slovenia and Serbia), as a step preceding educational intervention on the importance of patients' compliance with instructions on taking ABs and consequences of their inappropriate use.

Methods: Patients' knowledge, emotions and behaviour regarding ABs were assessed using a structured questionnaire, constructed by a psychologist and intended for general population in six European countries. Questionnaires were filled out by individuals who visited pharmacies and general practitioners.