[Does a reduction of drugs yield a higher quality of life in geriatric patients?]. / Bessere Lebensqualität geriatrischer Patienten durch weniger Medikamente?

Considering the constant increase of medication costs in medical institutions we analysed in a Swiss municipal nursing home whether medication in geriatric long term patients can be reduced without compromising quality of life. To document these effects we applied two established questionnaires on different issues of quality of life; the interviews with the patients and with the nursing staff were performed as a pre-post-comparison of the 3-month intervention. The new geriatric medication concept allowed a decreased daily medication as well as a 23% reduction of the medication costs at an average. In comparison to a previous group of control this study showed no reduction in quality of life for nursing home residents but even a stabilisation yielding to an actual improvement of quality of life.