Cut medications for patients in care homes, GPs told

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Northerner

Northerner

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Type 1
More than 80% of elderly patients with diabetes in care homes are taking multiple medications, many of them ?inappropriately' prescribed for cardiovascular prevention, a new study reports.

Prescribing costs could be halved for some patients in care homes if unnecessary medications were stopped and liquid preparations replaced by crushed tablets, the researchers claimed.
Their study looked at medications taken by 75 elderly residents of nursing homes with diabetes in the Coventry area.
They found 84% were taking four or more medications, meeting the definition of polypharmacy, and more than a third were prescribed eight or more drugs.

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/newsart...dications-for-patients-in-care-homes-gps-told

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Hmm, the content doesn't actually quite match the headline, does it?

I know of the research and it's true, it can save money. That bit is hardly rocket science though. And it doesn't seem to mention that it isn't all patients willy nilly either.

I'd be surprised if GP's had actually been told to do it anyway, it's recent research and the wheels don't grind that quick! especially round here .....
 
Northerner said:
More than 80% of elderly patients with diabetes in care homes are taking multiple medications, many of them ‘inappropriately' prescribed for cardiovascular prevention, a new study reports.

Prescribing costs could be halved for some patients in care homes if unnecessary medications were stopped and liquid preparations replaced by crushed tablets, the researchers claimed.
Their study looked at medications taken by 75 elderly residents of nursing homes with diabetes in the Coventry area.
They found 84% were taking four or more medications, meeting the definition of polypharmacy, and more than a third were prescribed eight or more drugs.

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/newsart...dications-for-patients-in-care-homes-gps-told

(free registration required)
Click to expand...

Sounds like another routine attack on Type 2 Diabetics.
But perhaps they got to be elderly patients with diabetes preciseLy because they were taking multiple medications.
What's the subtext - "LET THEM DIE, ITS CHEAPER" ?
 
Just had a count up in my medicine drawer. I hope no one tells them how many meds I'm on. 😱 I'm on them because I need them, but at just 54 I'm already included in the third who take more than 8 drugs. XXXXX
 
mcdonagh47 said:
Sounds like another routine attack on Type 2 Diabetics.
But perhaps they got to be elderly patients with diabetes preciseLy because they were taking multiple medications.
What's the subtext - "LET THEM DIE, ITS CHEAPER" ?
Click to expand...

Absolutely not, IMHO, actually.

The sub-text (your word not mine) may have been QOL.

We'll see !

PS Where does it say they were T2? - your assumpton, dear thing!
 
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