A SIZABLE portion of the $1 million research fund being distributed by health insurer HCF's Research Foundation is being used to tackle adverse drug reactions in elderly patients.
University of Tasmania Head of Pharmacy, Professor Luke Bereznicki, has secured the largest grant being offered by the foundation ($274,000) by the foundation, for his study which aims to improve medication use.
"Increases in life expectancy, the prevalence of chronic disease in older age groups and the number of medicines used to treat them raises the risk that older people will experience an adverse reaction," Bereznicki said.
"With the support of the HCF Research Foundation, we will examine the effectiveness of risk assessments focussed on reducing adverse drug reactions during hospitalisation and in the 12 months after discharge."
Preventable adverse drug reactions frequently result from polypharmacy in the elderly hospitalised patient, he reiterated.
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