Preventive Medication Use Among People with Limited Life Expectancy
Author Information
Author(s): Maddison André R, Fisher Judith, Johnston Grace
Primary Institution: Dalhousie University
Hypothesis
How is preventive medication use managed among persons with limited life expectancy?
Conclusion
Many individuals with limited life expectancy continue to take potentially inappropriate medications, highlighting the need for better evaluation and management of their medication regimens.
Supporting Evidence
- Individuals with limited life expectancy are at increased risk of polypharmacy and adverse drug events.
- A considerable proportion of individuals with a known terminal condition continue to take chronic disease preventive medications until death despite questionable benefit.
- Frameworks to assess appropriate versus inappropriate medications for persons with limited life expectancy are presented.
Takeaway
People who are very sick often take a lot of medicines, but some of these might not help them anymore. It's important to check if they really need to keep taking them.
Methodology
The authors conducted a literature review using Medline, Embase, and CINAHL to assess preventive medication use among persons with limited life expectancy.
Potential Biases
The review may be biased towards studies that focus on specific medications rather than a broader understanding of preventive medication use.
Limitations
The review is not a full systematic literature review and is limited to raising awareness and framing issues rather than providing comprehensive guidelines.
Participant Demographics
The review includes studies on various populations, including elderly individuals and those with advanced diseases.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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