Potentially inappropriate medication use in community residential care facilities.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication use in community residential care (CRC) facilities at baseline, describe exposure to potentially inappropriate drugs during the 1-year follow-up, and examine characteristics associated with potentially inappropriate use. DESIGN: A cohort study was conducted using 282 individuals aged >/=65 years entering a CRC facility in a 3-county area in the Puget Sound region of Washington State between April 1998 and December 1998 on Medicaid funding. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Use of potentially inappropriate medications as defined by explicit criteria (e.g., drugs that should generally be avoided in the elderly because potential risks outweigh any potential benefits). RESULTS: Sixty-two (22%) residents took a total of 75 potentially inappropriate medications at baseline. The most common agents used at baseline were oxybutynin (3.5%) and amitriptyline (3.5%). The incidence of new use of potentially inappropriate medications was 0.1/100 person-days during the follow-up period. Potentially inappropriate use was related to self-reported fair or poor health (adjusted OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.92) and number of prescription drugs (adjusted OR 1.12; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.19). In the Cox proportional hazard model, no characteristics predicted new potentially inappropriate medication use during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Potentially inappropriate medication use is common among residents in CRC facilities. A comprehensive periodic review may be beneficial for reducing potentially inappropriate use, especially for patients taking multiple drugs.