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Polypharmacy and medication regimen complexity as factors associated with staff informant rated quality of life in residents of aged care facilities: a cross-sectional study

  • Pharmacoepidemiology and Prescription
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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between polypharmacy with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and medication regimen complexity with HRQoL in residential aged care facilities (RACFs).

Methods

A cross-sectional study of 383 residents from six Australian RACFs was conducted. The primary exposures were polypharmacy (≥9 regular medications) and the validated Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI). The outcome measure was staff informant rated quality of life assessed using the Quality of Life Alzheimer’s disease (QoL-AD) scale. Covariates included age, sex, Charlson’s comorbidity index, activities of daily living, and dementia severity. Logistic quantile regression was used to characterize the association between polypharmacy and QoL-AD (model 1) and MRCI and QoL-AD (model 2).

Results

The median age of the 383 residents was 88 years and 297 (78 %) residents were female. In total, 63 % of residents were exposed to polypharmacy and the median MRCI score (range) was 43.5 (4–113). After adjusting for the covariates, polypharmacy was not associated with either higher or lower QoL-AD scores (estimate −0.02; 95 % confidence interval (CI) −0.165, 0.124; p = 0.78). Similarly, after adjusting for the covariates, MRCI was not associated with either higher or lower QoL-AD scores (estimate −0.0009, 95 % CI −0.005, 0.003; p = 0.63).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that polypharmacy and medication regimen complexity are not associated with staff informant rated HRQoL. Further research is needed to investigate how specific medication classes may impact change in quality of life over time.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Resthaven staff and residents for their participation in this study. The work was supported by the Alzheimer’s Australia Dementia Research Foundation via the Resthaven Incorporated Dementia Research Award, with additional funding provided by Resthaven Incorporated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

    Samanta Lalic, Kris M. Jamsen, Barbara C. Wimmer, Edwin C.K. Tan & J. Simon Bell

  2. Pharmacy Department, Austin Health, Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    Samanta Lalic

  3. NHMRC Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, Hornsby, NSW, Australia

    Sarah N. Hilmer & J. Simon Bell

  4. Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Sydney Medical School, Royal North Shore Hospital, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Sarah N. Hilmer

  5. Resthaven Incorporated, Adelaide, Australia

    Leonie Robson & Tina Emery

  6. Sansom Institute, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

    J. Simon Bell

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  1. Samanta Lalic
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  2. Kris M. Jamsen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Samanta Lalic.

Ethics declarations

Verbal and written information about the study were provided to all participants. The resident’s written consent was obtained directly. If the residents did not have the capacity to consent, written informed consent was obtained from their guardian, next of kin or significant other. The study was approved by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) National Research and Evaluation Ethics Committee and the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee.

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No conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the manuscript.

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Lalic, S., Jamsen, K.M., Wimmer, B.C. et al. Polypharmacy and medication regimen complexity as factors associated with staff informant rated quality of life in residents of aged care facilities: a cross-sectional study. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 72, 1117–1124 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-016-2075-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-016-2075-4

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