Medication changes implemented during medication reviews and factors related to deprescribing: Posthoc analyses of a randomized clinical trial in geriatric outpatients with polypharmacy.

Aims: To provide posthoc analyses of a clinical trial that reported beneficial effects of medication reviews on health-related quality of life. Specifically, to describe the medication changes with a focus on deprescribing and to explore patient- and medication-related factors that may identify patients most likely to benefit from medication reviews.

Methods: Posthoc analyses of data from a pragmatic, nonblinded, randomized clinical trial investigating a medication review intervention (NCT03911934) in 408 geriatric outpatients treated with ≥9 medicines.

Effects of a comprehensive medication review intervention on health-related quality of life and other clinical outcomes in geriatric outpatients with polypharmacy: A pragmatic randomized clinical trial.

Aim: To investigate the effects of a comprehensive medication review intervention on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and clinical outcomes in geriatric outpatients exposed to polypharmacy.

Methods: Pragmatic, nonblinded, randomized clinical trial with follow-up after 4 and 13 months. Participants were geriatric outpatients taking ≥9 medicines.

Psychotropic medication in a randomly selected group of citizens receiving residential or home care.

Introduction: Treatment with one or more psychotropic medications (PMs), especially in the elderly, is associated with risk, and the effects of treatment are poorly validated. The aim of this article was to describe the use of PM in a population of citizens receiving either residential care or home care with focus on the prevalence of drug use, the combination of different PMs and doses in relation to current recommendations.

Methods: The medication lists of 214 citizens receiving residential care (122) and home care (92) were collected together with information on age, gender and residential status.

Is a targeted intensive intervention effective for improvements in hypertension control? A randomized controlled trial.

Background: High blood pressure (BP) is one of the most important risk factors for stroke, and antihypertensive therapy significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, achieving a regulated BP in hypertensive patients is still a challenge.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of an intervention targeting GPs' management of hypertension.

Multi-dose drug dispensing is a challenge across the primary-secondary care interface.

Introduction: Multi-dose drug dispensing (MDDD) signifies that the patient's medicine is packed in disposable bags corresponding to the dose that should be taken. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how a hospital MDDD instruction was followed.

Material And Methods: All patients receiving MDDD on admission to the acute medical admission ward at Bispebjerg Hospital in the period from 1 January to 30 June 2010 were prospectively included in the study.

[Medication errors after hospitalisation due to multi-dose drug dispensing in the primary sector].

Multi-dose drug dispensing (MDDD) was introduced in Denmark in 2001 in order to minimize medication errors. In May 2010 44.500 Danish citizens received MDDD.

[Changing clinicians' prescription patterns].

In 2005 the Central Drug Committee in co-operation with the hospitals in the county of Copenhagen (H:S) focused on the increasing use of and expenditure derived from three tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors. While the three inhibitors are estimated to be equivalent regarding efficacy and safety, eternacept and adalimumab are twice as expensive as infliximab. With a little effort, the Central Drug Committee succeeded in changing clinicians' prescription pattern in a cost-effective manner.

[Application of the medicine profile in an ambulatory setting].

Introduction: A person with a digital signature can access his or her own personal electronic medicinal profile (PEM) which can also be accessed by the person's prescribing doctors. The PEM provides an overview and contains an overview of the prescription medicine sold to the patient over the previous two years.

Materials And Methods: Randomly-selected geriatric ambulatory patients were included.

[Combination therapy with acetylsalicylic acid and non-aspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs].

Patients may require both low-dose aspirin (ASA) and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). This raises the questions of whether NSAIDs may inhibit the cardioprotective effects of low-dose ASA; whether the cardioprotective effect of low-dose ASA can be obtained by NSAIDs: and whether the combination of low-dose ASA and NSAIDs increases the risk of adverse effects. This review attempts to answer these questions.

Thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) genotype distribution in azathioprine-tolerant and -intolerant patients with various disorders. The impact of TPMT genotyping in predicting toxicity.

Objective: To study the distribution of the thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) genotype among azathioprine (Aza)-tolerant and -intolerant patients with various disorders, and to investigate a possible relationship with the Aza metabolite levels.

Methods: Forty-six Aza-tolerant and six Aza-intolerant patients had the TPMT genotype distribution determined using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and the forty-six Aza-tolerant patients had the Aza metabolite levels determined using a high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis.

Results: One non-functional TPMT mutant allele was demonstrated in 2 of the 46 Aza-tolerant patients (4.

[Drug-induced seizures].

Numerous drugs have been suspected to be associated with the occurrence of epileptic seizures. Our information retrieval, however, shows that drug-induced seizures are relatively rare. The risk of seizure seems to be increased, also in patients who are not predisposed to seizure, when taking clozapine, enflurane, theophylline, foscarnet, ganciclovir, and ritonavir.

Effect of growth hormone on hepatic cytochrome P450 activity in healthy elderly men.

Objective: Our objective was to study the effect of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) activity in 30 healthy elderly men.

Methods: The study was carried out as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study. rhGH or placebo was administered for a period of 12 weeks.