Temporal Trends of Antimicrobial Resistance and Antibiotic Utilization in Australian Long-Term Care Facilities.

Unlabelled: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global problem with antibiotic consumption considered a key modifiable factor for the development of AMR. Long-term care (LTC) facilities have been identified as potential reservoirs for () resistance due to high rates of urinary tract infection (UTI) and high levels of antibiotic consumption among residents. However, while the relationship between these two factors is well accepted, little is known about the possible temporal relationship between these.

Relationship between medication safety-related processes and medication use in residential aged care facilities.

Objective: To explore the association between the implementation of medication safety-related processes measured with the Medication Safety Self-Assessment for Long-Term Care (MSSA-LTC) tool and medication use in residential aged care facilities (RACFs).

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Australian RACFs. Data on facility characteristics, aggregated medication use at the facility level for selected medications commonly associated with a high risk of harm and the MSSA-LTC were completed by clinical pharmacists providing clinical pharmacy services.

One Health Determinants of Antimicrobial Resistance in Humans in the Community: An Umbrella Review.

To date, the scientific literature on health variables for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been investigated throughout several systematic reviews, often with a focus on only one aspect of the One Health variables: human, animal, or environment. The aim of this umbrella review is to conduct a systematic synthesis of existing evidence on AMR in humans in the community from a One Health perspective. PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL were searched on "antibiotic resistance" and "systematic review" from inception until 25 March 2022 (PROSPERO: CRD42022316431).

Zerumbone liquid crystalline nanoparticles protect against oxidative stress, inflammation and senescence induced by cigarette smoke extract in vitro.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of zerumbone-loaded liquid crystalline nanoparticles (ZER-LCNs) in the protection of broncho-epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages against oxidative stress, inflammation and senescence induced by cigarette smoke extract in vitro. The effect of the treatment of ZER-LCNs on in vitro cell models of cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-treated mouse RAW264.7 and human BCi-NS1.

Preparing for an aging Australia: The development of multidisciplinary core competencies for the Australian health and aged care workforce.

Appropriately skilled staff are required to meet the health and care needs of aging populations yet, shared competencies for the workforce are lacking. This study aimed to develop multidisciplinary core competencies for health and aged care workers in Australia through a scoping review and Delphi survey. The scoping review identified 28 records which were synthesized through thematic analysis into draft domains and measurable competencies.

Letter to the Editor: Integrating the Roles of Pharmacy Practice and Drug Delivery in Mitigating COVID-19.

No Abstract Available.

Potential for Detection of Safety Signals for Over-the-Counter Medicines Using National ADR Spontaneous Reporting Data: The Example of OTC NSAID-Associated Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

One post-marketing surveillance challenge for many regulatory authorities is access to information regarding the safety of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. National spontaneous adverse drug reaction (ADR) report data represent a rich potential data source for the detection of safety signals associated with OTC medicines, yet little is known regarding the possibility of detecting safety signals for OTC medicines within these datasets. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential for detecting safety signals for OTC medicines in National ADR spontaneous reporting data, using OTC non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and gastrointestinal bleeding as an example.

Chronic Constipation in the Community: A National Survey of Australian Adults.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of chronic constipation and identify factors associated with chronic constipation in community-dwelling adults.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: The target population was community-dwelling Australian adults; 1978 participants completed an online questionnaire exploring symptoms, management, and factors potentially associated with constipation.

Use of over-the-counter laxatives by community-dwelling adults to treat and prevent constipation: a national cross-sectional study.

Purpose: Constipation is commonly self-managed with over-the-counter laxatives. The study aim was to explore laxative choice, healthcare professional recommendations in laxative selection, and laxative effectiveness when laxatives are used for treatment and for prevention of constipation by community-dwelling adults.

Methods: A nationally representative sample of community-dwelling adults in Australia was surveyed.

Appropriate Use of Laxatives in the Older Person.

Constipation is a common condition, affecting up to half of all older adults during their lifetime. Untreated constipation has significant impacts, decreasing quality of life and potentially leading to urinary and/or faecal incontinence, faecal impaction and, in severe cases, hospitalisation. The increased constipation prevalence among older populations is multifactorial, with a number of age-related factors contributing to the rise in prevalence with aging.

Factors that facilitate reporting of adverse drug reactions by pharmacists in Saudi Arabia.

: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a pervasive global problem, and its management is integral to patient safety and healthcare quality. Pharmacists play a pivotal role in monitoring and reporting ADRs, which has a direct impact on patient care. The aim of this study was to identify potential factors that facilitate pharmacists in community and hospital settings to report ADRs.

Defining constipation to estimate its prevalence in the community: results from a national survey.

Background: Different definitions of constipation have been used to estimate its prevalence in the community but this creates difficulties when comparing results from various studies. This study explores the impact of different definitions on prevalence estimates in the same population and compares the performance of simple definitions with the Rome III criteria.

Methods: The prevalence of constipation in a large nationally representative sample of community-dwelling adults was estimated using five simple definitions of constipation and compared with definitions based on the Rome III criteria.

Feasibility, acceptability and potential effectiveness of an information technology-based, pharmacist-led intervention to prevent an increase in anticholinergic and sedative load among older community-dwelling individuals.

Background: Anticholinergic/sedative medications are frequently used by older people, despite their negative impacts on cognitive and physical function. We explore the feasibility, acceptability and potential effectiveness of an innovative information technology (IT)-based intervention to prevent an increase in anticholinergic/sedative load in older people.

Methods: This was a prospective study in 51 Dutch community pharmacies.

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

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.

Compliance with pathology testing guidelines in Australian general practice: protocol for a secondary analysis of electronic health record data.

Introduction: In Australia, general practitioners usually are the first point of contact for patients with non-urgent medical conditions. Appropriate and efficient utilisation of pathology tests by general practitioners forms a key part of diagnosis and monitoring. However overutilisationand underutilisation of pathology tests have been reported across several tests and conditions, despite evidence-based guidelines outlining best practice in pathology testing.

Reducing the anticholinergic and sedative load in older patients on polypharmacy by pharmacist-led medication review: a randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate if a pharmacist-led medication review is effective at reducing the anticholinergic/sedative load, as measured by the Drug Burden Index (DBI).

Design: Randomised controlled single blind trial.

Setting: 15 community pharmacies in the Northern Netherlands.

Leveraging new information technology to monitor medicine use in 71 residential aged care facilities: variation in polypharmacy and antipsychotic use.

Objective: The aim of this study was to use routinely collected electronic medicines administration (eMAR) data in residential aged care (RAC) to investigate the quality use of medicines.

Design: A cross-sectional analysis of eMAR data.

Setting: 71 RAC facilities in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia.

Changes in Prescribing Symptomatic and Preventive Medications in the Last Year of Life in Older Nursing Home Residents.

At the end of life goals of care change from disease prevention to symptomatic control, however, little is known about the patterns of medication prescribing at this stage. To explore changes in prescribing of symptomatic and preventive medication in the last year of life in older nursing home residents. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using pharmacy medication supply data of 553 residents from 16 nursing home facilities around Sydney, Australia.

Antihypertensive-related adverse drug reactions among older hospitalized adults.

Background Antihypertensive medications are commonly used for a wide range of indications, yet it is unknown to what extent older adults are at risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with their antihypertensive medication use. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of antihypertensive-related ADRs on hospital admission. Setting Metropolitan teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia.

Antidepressant switching patterns in the elderly.

Unlabelled: ABSTRACTBackground:Switching between antidepressants is complex due to potential adverse outcomes such as serotonin syndrome and antidepressant discontinuation syndrome, yet switching is often required due to non-response to initial treatment. This study aimed to examine the patterns and extent of antidepressant switching in a cohort of older adults in long-term residential care.

Methods: A cohort study of medication supply data from 6011 aged care residents in 60 long-term care facilities was conducted.

Cross-national comparison of medication use in Australian and Dutch nursing homes.

Background: cross-national comparisons can be used to explore therapeutic areas and identify potential medication issues.

Methods: we used cross-sectional pharmacy supply data to explore medication use for nursing home residents in Australia (AU n = 26 homes, 1,560 residents) and the Netherlands (NL n = 6 homes, 2,037 residents). Binary logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the sex and aged adjusted odds ratios (OR) and associated 95% confidence intervals with a flexible Bonferroni-Holm procedure used to adjust for multiple hypothesis testing.