Short summary

Polypharmacy is common among older people and handling of many medications can be a complicated and time-consuming task. Employees in Danish home health care are subjected to a busy working environment and medication management errors are not uncommon. Therefore, it is important to optimize the process in order to ensure rational pharmacotherapy. The aim of this study is to map the time spent on medication management in Danish home health care.

Rationale

Polypharmacy and medication errors among older people are frequent. The working environment in Danish home health care is busy, and given the demographic development, where older people are expected to constitute a larger proportion of the total population, it is expected that larger demands will be placed on Danish home health care which will thus have to handle even more medication.

The aim of this study is to map the time spent on medication management in Danish home health care. In addition, the use of medication among older people receiving home health care will be assessed. Together, this is expected to document the complexity of medication management in home health care and thereby form the basis for development of strategies and initiatives to improve the medication management process, ultimately leading to rational pharmacotherapy as well as improved quality of life among older people, and free up much needed time for the employees in Danish home health care.

Description of the cohort

Employees in Danish home health care (nurses and social and health care assistants) recruited from all five regions of Denmark.

Data and biological material

Time registrations, factors related to medication use (e.g. ordering, dispensing, administration), interview data.

Collaborating researchers and departments

Reagens

• Owner, Pharmacist, Søren Post

Hospital Pharmacy Funen

• Professor, Head of Research, Anton Pottegård
• Postdoc, Pharmacist, Carina Lundby