Short summary

Studies show that older people often lack knowledge about their medicine and how to discuss it with health care personnel. This project investigates the knowledge of people aged 65+ about their treatment and experiences with conversations with general practitioner about medication. A questionnaire based on a campaign from the Danish Health Authority will be used. The project extends a project to educate older users on their medication knowledge and communication with healthcare professionals.

Rationale

"Medication rarely needs to be taken for a lifetime.". This is how the Danish Health Authority begins its Spring 2023 campaign, aiming to encourage Danish medication users to reflect more on their medication use. The campaign presents five questions that medication users can beneficially ask their doctors about their treatment. Studies have shown that older people particularly have limited knowledge about their medication and often do not know how to best discuss it with their doctors. Understanding older medication users' knowledge of their treatment on a larger scale is crucial for developing interventions, campaigns, educational programs, etc., to best equip older medication users and their relatives for the safe and effective use of medication. Employees at Danish community pharmacies interact daily with thousands of these individuals, helping older medication users improve their understanding of medication through counseling. The aim of this study is to gain knowledge about Danish older people's medication knowledge and their experiences with medications reviews done by their general practitioner.

Description of the cohort

Patients at age 65 or above who collect a prescription will be invited to take part in a short questionnaire directly in the counter at around 10 pharmacies in Denmark.

Data and biological material

Questionnaire data

Collaborating researchers and departments

Hospital Pharmacy Funen, Odense University Hospital

• Carina Lundby Olesen (cand.pharm, ph.d)

The Danish Network for Community Pharmacy Practice for Research and Development (NUAP), Pharmakon

• Kerly Servilieri (cand. pharm)

Albani Pharmacy, Odense

• Kirsten Lindholm (cand. pharm)

Nyborg Pharmacy, Nyborg

• Nanna Stauner (cand. pharm)

Publications associated with the project

Ailabouni NJ, Rebecca Weir K, Reeve E, Turner JT, Wilson Norton J, Gray SL. Barriers and enablers of older adults initiating a deprescribing conversation. Patient Educ Couns. Published online June 2021:S0738399121004201.

Turner JP, Tannenbaum C. Older Adults' Awareness of Deprescribing: A Population-Based Survey. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2017;65(12):2691-2696.

Thompson W, Jacobsen IT, Jarbøl DE, Haastrup P, Nielsen JB, Lundby C. Nursing Home Residents' Thoughts on Discussing Deprescribing of Preventive Medications. Drugs Aging. 2020;37(3):187-192.

Graabaek T, Lundby C, Ryg J, Søndergaard J, Pottegård A, Nielsen DS. 'I simply don't know, because I don't know which drugs I get': Perspectives on deprescribing among older adults with limited life expectancy and their relatives. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2021;128(1):115-127.