The burden of chronic diseases and patients' preference for healthcare services among adult patients suffering from chronic diseases in Bangladesh.

Background: Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have a disproportionately high burden of chronic diseases, with inequalities in health care access and quality services. This study aimed to assess patients' preferences for healthcare services for chronic disease management among adult patients in Bangladesh.

Methods: The present analysis was conducted among 10,385 patients suffering from chronic diseases, drawn from the latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2016-2017.

Disability, physical activity, and health-related quality of life in Australian adults: An investigation using 19 waves of a longitudinal cohort.

Background: Any form of long-term physical or mental impairment might negatively influence health-related quality of life (HRQoL). HRQoL, as an independent concept, covers a wide range of characteristics that includes physical, mental, social, and spiritual functions. People with disabilities are continuously exposed to multiple barriers that deteriorate their HRQoL.

Consumer Attitudes Towards Deprescribing: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Harmful and/or unnecessary medication use in older adults is common. This indicates deprescribing (supervised withdrawal of inappropriate medicines) is not happening as often as it should. This study aimed to synthesize the results of the Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing (PATD) questionnaire (and revised versions).

Considerations for systematic reviews of quantitative surveys: Learnings from a systematic review of the Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing questionnaire.

This commentary looks at the process of conducting a systematic review of surveys and validated questionnaires. Surveys and other questionnaire style tools are often used in the field of social and administrative pharmacy, to capture beliefs, attitudes and experiences of patients and healthcare professionals (including pharmacists). Currently, there is little guidance available on how to conduct a systematic review of these types of studies.

Barriers and enablers of older adults initiating a deprescribing conversation.

Objective: To examine older adults' perceptions and identify barriers and enablers to initiating a conversation about stopping medication(s) with their healthcare provider.

Methods: We conducted one focus group (n = 3) and in-depth, face-to-face, individual interviews (n = 6) using an interview guide. Older adults aged ≥65 years in a retirement community who were taking ≥5 medications were recruited.

Leveraging implementation science to increase the translation of deprescribing evidence into practice.

Implementation science may address some of the limitations that impede the translation of deprescribing recommendations into practice and policy. Application of principles and standard terminologies from implementation science could improve understanding and interpretation of deprescribing research findings. As such, in this commentary we propose three main avenues to help achieve this.

A data visualisation method for assessing exposure misclassification in case-crossover studies: the example of tricyclic antidepressants and the risk of hip fracture in older people.

Background: The case-crossover design is suited to medication safety studies but is vulnerable to exposure misclassification. Using the example of tricyclic antidepressants and the risk of hip fracture, we present a data visualisation tool for observing exposure misclassification in case-crossover studies.

Methods: A case-crossover study was conducted using Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs claims data.

The Risk of Hip Fracture Due to Mirtazapine Exposure When Switching Antidepressants or Using Other Antidepressants as Add-On Therapy.

Background: Antidepressants are associated with adverse effects such as sedation and hypotension, which can result in falls and fractures. Few studies have assessed the risk of hip fracture due to mirtazapine, and no known studies have assessed whether the risk of hip fracture is higher in patients taking other antidepressant medicines in combination with mirtazapine.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the risk of hip fracture in older people due to mirtazapine use as well as switching between or concurrently using mirtazapine and other antidepressants.

Evaluating medication-related quality of care in residential aged care: a systematic review.

Given the growing aged care population, the complexity of their medication-related needs and increased risk of adverse drug events, there is a necessity to systematically monitor and manage medication-related quality of care. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and synthesise medication-related quality of care indicators with respect to application to residential aged care. MEDLINE (Ovid), Psychinfo, CINAHL, Embase and Google® were searched from 2001 to 2013 for studies that were in English, focused on older people aged 65+ years and discussed the development, application or validation of original medication-related quality of care indicators.

Ageing well: improving the management of patients with multiple chronic health problems.

Aim: To identify and evaluate the management and care of older people with multiple chronic health problems (MCHP).

Methods: Administrative health data from the Department of Veterans' Affairs and bio-social data from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing are used to determine prevalence of MCHP, treatment patterns and patient outcomes. Focus groups and semistructured interviews are used to gain patient and health practitioner perspectives.

Fish oil supplementation increases the cyclooxygenase inhibitory activity of paracetamol in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Objective: To examine interactions between fish oil and paracetamol for inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Patients from an early RA clinic who were treated with a standardized combination DMARD regimen were enrolled. They were advised to consume an anti-inflammatory dose of fish oil containing the n-3 fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), or a comparator oil.