Drug-related problems among older people with dementia: A systematic review

• Main Authors: Qlaementine Ng Xue Qin, -, Long Chiau Ming, -, Mohd Shahezwan Abd Wahab, -, Ching Siang Tan, -, Ana Yuda, -, Andi Hermansyah, -
• Format: Article PeerReviewed
• Language: English; English; English; English
• Published: Elsevier 2023
• Subjects: R Medicine; RS Pharmacy and materia medica; RS1-441 Pharmacy and materia medica; RS200-201 Pharmaceutical dosage forms
• Online Access: https://repository.unair.ac.id/123993/1/Bukti%20Artikel%20C-4.pdf; https://repository.unair.ac.id/123993/2/Bukti%20Validasi%20dan%20Penilaian%20Karil%20C-4.pdf; https://repository.unair.ac.id/123993/3/Bukti%20Similarity%20C-4.pdf; https://repository.unair.ac.id/123993/4/Bukti%20Korespondensi%20C-4.pdf; https://repository.unair.ac.id/123993/; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1551741123000724?via%3Dihub; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2023.02.015
• Institution: Universitas Airlangga

Introduction Dementia is a disorder that causes a decline of cognitive function, and it affects millions of people worldwide. Increased availability of medications used to treat dementia will inevitably increase the likelihood of drug-related problems (DRPs). Objective This systematic review sought to identify DRPs due to medication misadventures, including adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and use of inappropriate medications, among patients with dementia or cognitive impairments. Methods The included studies were retrieved from the electronic databases PubMed and SCOPUS, and a preprint platform (MedRXiv) which were searched from their inception through August 2022. The English-language publications that reported DRPs among dementia patients were included. The JBI Critical Appraisal Tool for quality assessment was used to evaluate the quality of studies included in the review. Results Overall, 746 distinct articles were identified. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria and reported the most common DRPs, which comprised medication misadventures (n = 9), such as ADRs, inappropriate prescription use, and potentially inappropriate medication use (n = 6). Conclusion This systematic review provides evidence that DRPs are prevalent among dementia patients, particularly the older people. It indicates that medication misadventures such as ADRs and inappropriate drug use, as well as potentially inappropriate medications, are the most prevalent DRPs among older people with dementia. Due to the small number of included studies, however, additional studies are required to improve comprehension about the issue.