Medication use in older people: a study in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening cohort (PLCO)
Principal Investigator
Name
Amanda Black
Degrees
PhD, MPH
Institution
NCI/DCEG
Position Title
Staff Scientist
Email
About this CDAS Project
Study
PLCO
(Learn more about this study)
Project ID
PLCO-121
Initial CDAS Request Approval
Dec 11, 2014
Title
Medication use in older people: a study in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening cohort (PLCO)
Summary
Older people(defined as those aged 65 years and over) account for 6.4% of the world’s population and, with rising life expectancy the number of older adults is rapidly increasing. This group is the largest consumer of medications and, with advancing age, older people become increasingly vulnerable to medication related adverse events.
Appropriate medications in older people have a clear evidence-based indication, are well tolerated, and are cost-effective. In contrast, medicines that are potentially inappropriate lack evidence-based indications, pose a higher risk of adverse effects and are not cost-effective. Potentially inappropriate medication use in older people has been associated with significant morbidity, adverse drug events (ADEs), hospitalization and mortality.
While a few studies have attempted to characterize medication use in certain older populations, such as those in an ambulatory clinic setting, there is a paucity of data relating to medication use among older adults in the general US population.
In 2013, we mailed a self-report Medication Use Questionnaire (MUQ) to 75,980 eligible PLCO participants. The questionnaire included questions specific to over-the-counter and prescription anti-inflammatory and pain-reliever medication use (NSAIDs, acetaminophen, and aspirin) that were previously asked in both the BQX and SQX. Verbatim response questions were asked to determine the type, frequency, and duration of all other prescription medications used in the past month. We also asked questions on the participants’ smoking status and current weight. We propose to characterize medication use among this cohort of older PLCO participants and to explore the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication use.
Appropriate medications in older people have a clear evidence-based indication, are well tolerated, and are cost-effective. In contrast, medicines that are potentially inappropriate lack evidence-based indications, pose a higher risk of adverse effects and are not cost-effective. Potentially inappropriate medication use in older people has been associated with significant morbidity, adverse drug events (ADEs), hospitalization and mortality.
While a few studies have attempted to characterize medication use in certain older populations, such as those in an ambulatory clinic setting, there is a paucity of data relating to medication use among older adults in the general US population.
In 2013, we mailed a self-report Medication Use Questionnaire (MUQ) to 75,980 eligible PLCO participants. The questionnaire included questions specific to over-the-counter and prescription anti-inflammatory and pain-reliever medication use (NSAIDs, acetaminophen, and aspirin) that were previously asked in both the BQX and SQX. Verbatim response questions were asked to determine the type, frequency, and duration of all other prescription medications used in the past month. We also asked questions on the participants’ smoking status and current weight. We propose to characterize medication use among this cohort of older PLCO participants and to explore the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication use.
Aims
We propose to
1. Describe the methods used for the MUQ data collection effort and the MUQ population
2. Characterize medication use among this cohort of older PLCO participants and to explore the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication use.
Collaborators
Many