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Medication Review at Heritage Senior Care Center: Ensuring Safety and Well-being

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03 Nov 2023

5 Min Read

Taylor's Impact Lab (Active Ageing Impact Lab)

IN THIS ARTICLE

Malaysia is now transitioning into an ageing nation as was stated in a World Bank report: “A Silver Lining: Productive and Inclusive Ageing for Malaysia” that more than 7 percent of the country’s population would be aged 65 and above in 2020. The report shared that the rate of ageing will increase in the coming years and the share of the population aged 65 and above is projected to double to 14 percent by 2044 and to reach 20 percent by 2056, giving Malaysia the eventual status of a “super-aged nation”. World Bank noted that within this context, Malaysia has an opportunity to better protect its elderly citizens and enable them to age with dignity and purpose.

The Need for Medication Review and Intervention for Senior Citizens

Most senior care homes in Malaysia are manned by personnel with little knowledge about medications. This leads to a high prevalence of polypharmacy, medication errors and adverse drug incidents. The elderly are more vulnerable to harm caused by adverse drug incidents due to age-related pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes. Pharmacokinetics is the branch of pharmacology concerned with the movement of drugs within the body, whilst pharmacodynamics is concerned with the effects of drugs and the mechanism of their action.  Thus, the implementation of a robust medication review service in senior care centres is both justifiable and highly beneficial for these elderly residents.

A Collaborative Project to Address Potential Medication Problems

As part of their Collaborative Students Practical Attachment Programme with Click2Health (a provider of healthcare services), the Taylor’s Active Ageing Impact Lab and Taylor’s School of Pharmacy introduced a medication review service at the Heritage Senior Care Centre. This service helps to mitigate the risks associated with medication mismanagement, ensuring more accurate and timely administration of medications to the centre’s elderly residents.

 

A total of twelve Year 4 Pharmacy students from Taylor’s University were involved in this programme. They worked in pairs to review the medications administered to a total of 17 residents of the senior care centre. Every week, two pairs of students, accompanied by a School of Pharmacy lecturer, would visit the centre to reconcile the medications given, update the medication lists, identify any medication use problems, and offer suggestions to the carers on how to optimise medication use for these residents. This practice facilitated early detection of any potential issues related to medication use and safety, allowing for prompt intervention and adjustment as necessary.

Group photos of Taylor's pharmacy students participating in the project

Positive Feedback Post Participation by Various Parties

The participating students provided positive feedback on their experience working on this collaborative project. They were asked about their personal purpose for participating, expectations, thoughts on the benefits of conducting medication reviews, their learning experience and whether such activity should be an ongoing practice at senior care centres. Many students said that the primary reasons for their participation was to brush up their skills in medication review, to gain real life experience in dealing with medication use in geriatric patients, and to explore the potential role of a pharmacist at senior care centres. All of them reported that their expectations had been met, they had received good evaluations from stakeholders, and they considered the continuation of such initiatives to be beneficial for all parties involved in the project namely the students, elderly residents, and carers at the senior care centre. In addition, students learned how to communicate with not just the elderly residents, but also their carers who play an important role in medication administration.

 

One participating student shared, “Though I personally have never communicated with the senior citizens in the centre, I am encouraged that this activity ensures the caregivers and those responsible provide the best care for the residents.”

 

“Such an activity is beneficial because it creates opportunities for students to explore real life clinical case work instead of just the simulated cases which are done in the classroom. Dealing with real patients will definitely improve students’ clinical skills,” added another student who also took part in this Impact Lab project.

 

Valerie Lee Xie Yi, Nurse Manager from Click2Health shared, “This Impact Lab Project with Taylor’s School of Pharmacy has yielded valuable insights and improvements needed in medication management and patient care.”

Promoting Positive Ageing by Prioritising Safe and Appropriate Use of Medication

Ultimately, proper medication use plays a vital role in safeguarding the overall health and wellbeing of the ageing population in our country, including those living at senior care centres. Through the joint efforts of the Taylor’s Active Ageing Impact Lab, Heritage Senior Care Centre, and the Taylor’s School of Pharmacy, the elderly residents are now able to better receive appropriate medications at the right time in doses as prescribed by their doctors. These efforts foster a positive ageing environment that prioritises the safety, welfare, and overall wellbeing of the elderly.

 

This meaningful project is closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being that aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The Taylor’s University Active Ageing Impact Lab continues to seek synergies with like-minded industry partners and external experts who can work together with motivated students and dedicated academic staff at Taylor’s University to develop better solutions for active ageing that will benefit the elderly members of our ageing Malaysian nation. Contact us to explore how you and your organisation can work with us on similar initiatives.

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