{"title":"Pharmacists Improving Osteoporosis Management in Long-Term Care Using Fracture Risk Assessments: A Feasibility Study.","authors":"Catherine D Laird, Kylie A Williams, Helen Benson","doi":"10.1016/j.jamda.2025.105494","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The primary outcome of this study is to test the feasibility of pharmacists completing Fracture Risk Scale (FRS) assessments using resident data routinely held by long-term care (LTC) facilities. Secondary outcomes are to ascertain the proportion of residents assessed as high fracture risk who currently receive osteoporosis medicines and explore whether under- or overuse of osteoporosis medicines is occurring based on residents' fracture risk.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Feasibility study.</p><p><strong>Setting and participants: </strong>Four LTC facilities from southeast Queensland, Australia, with a total of 281 residents participated in the study during April and May 2024.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A pharmacist reviewed individual resident files for all residents of participating facilities. Necessary data were extracted from resident files to determine their fracture risk using the FRS manual calculation tool. Residents' use of osteoporosis medicines and nutritional supplements (vitamin D and calcium) was analyzed based on their calculated fracture risk.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>FRS assessments were completed for 275 residents (97.9%). There were 149 residents (54.2%) assessed as having a high fracture risk, of which 43 (28.9%) were prescribed an osteoporosis medicine. Conversely, 28 residents (22.2%) with a low fracture risk received an osteoporosis medicine. Underuse of vitamin D and calcium supplements was found for all residents, irrespective of fracture risk.</p><p><strong>Conclusions and implications: </strong>The feasibility of pharmacists completing FRS assessments was demonstrated. Incorporating the FRS into routine clinical practice provides a promising means to support pharmacists advising on osteoporosis prescribing decisions for LTC residents. Widespread underuse of vitamin D and calcium for all LTC residents and the underuse of osteoporosis medicines by residents with a high fracture risk were found. Future research is necessary to establish if incorporating the FRS into clinical practice can address this undertreatment and reduce fracture rates in LTC.</p>","PeriodicalId":17180,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Medical Directors Association","volume":" ","pages":"105494"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of the American Medical Directors Association","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2025.105494","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: The primary outcome of this study is to test the feasibility of pharmacists completing Fracture Risk Scale (FRS) assessments using resident data routinely held by long-term care (LTC) facilities. Secondary outcomes are to ascertain the proportion of residents assessed as high fracture risk who currently receive osteoporosis medicines and explore whether under- or overuse of osteoporosis medicines is occurring based on residents' fracture risk.
Design: Feasibility study.
Setting and participants: Four LTC facilities from southeast Queensland, Australia, with a total of 281 residents participated in the study during April and May 2024.
Methods: A pharmacist reviewed individual resident files for all residents of participating facilities. Necessary data were extracted from resident files to determine their fracture risk using the FRS manual calculation tool. Residents' use of osteoporosis medicines and nutritional supplements (vitamin D and calcium) was analyzed based on their calculated fracture risk.
Results: FRS assessments were completed for 275 residents (97.9%). There were 149 residents (54.2%) assessed as having a high fracture risk, of which 43 (28.9%) were prescribed an osteoporosis medicine. Conversely, 28 residents (22.2%) with a low fracture risk received an osteoporosis medicine. Underuse of vitamin D and calcium supplements was found for all residents, irrespective of fracture risk.
Conclusions and implications: The feasibility of pharmacists completing FRS assessments was demonstrated. Incorporating the FRS into routine clinical practice provides a promising means to support pharmacists advising on osteoporosis prescribing decisions for LTC residents. Widespread underuse of vitamin D and calcium for all LTC residents and the underuse of osteoporosis medicines by residents with a high fracture risk were found. Future research is necessary to establish if incorporating the FRS into clinical practice can address this undertreatment and reduce fracture rates in LTC.
期刊介绍：
JAMDA, the official journal of AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, is a leading peer-reviewed publication that offers practical information and research geared towards healthcare professionals in the post-acute and long-term care fields. It is also a valuable resource for policy-makers, organizational leaders, educators, and advocates.
The journal provides essential information for various healthcare professionals such as medical directors, attending physicians, nurses, consultant pharmacists, geriatric psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, physical and occupational therapists, social workers, and others involved in providing, overseeing, and promoting quality
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
分享
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
扫码关注我们
