Medical Considerations
Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in the Elderly Population
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Lemlem Gebremichael
As age increases pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics changes are evident. Our study looks at the potentially inappropriate medications in elderly patients admitted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia during Sep 2015 to Sep 2016, who were over seventy-five years old and discharged with over five long-term medications. One thousand patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Each patient’s case notes were examined for comorbidities, reasons for admission, and the number of prescribed medications. The inappropriateness of prescriptions is assessed and compared using the two validated screening tools; the Beers criteria and Screening Tool of Older Persons’ Prescriptions and Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment. Currently we are on the final stage of data entry and have started analysing for the inappropriateness of prescribed medications for each patient using the two validated screening tools. Our future work continues on checking drug–drug interactions of prescribed medications of these patients using the validated drug interaction checker software Medicine–Complete Stockley for each patients. Overall, this study shows the safety of prescriptions of medications in the most vulnerable elderly patients for evidence-based recommendations of improved quality of life of these patients.
Modus Operandi and Monozukuri of Magical "Vitamin M" : Sociocultural Approaches to Folic Acid Projects in Japan
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Chungsun Lee
Various studies have been conducted to investigate the mechanism of health and well-being worldwide. In this context, "Vitamin M" known as folic acid has been noted for unlocking the potential to decrease elderly diseases such as alzheimer and dementia, as well as strokes. This paper investigates the social dynamics of cultural resources, by means of folic acid and folate fortified food. It is notable that while recommended daily intake for folate is 400μg, only 240μg have been recommended in Japan. Based on this deficiency, I introduce two case studies on activities utilizing folic acid in Japan. One is "Sakado Folate Project," which is a pioneering model to raise public concerns to healthcare through folate. Since its implementation in 2006, the project won The Municipal Awards for Excellence in Health and Longevity by Saitama prefecture in 2016. The second case is "Sakai Folate Supplement Project," implemented by Sakai city with the collaboration of DHC corporation. As a top manufacture supplying cosmetics and pharmaceuticals in Japan, DHC has been strategically providing Folate supplements. In conclusion, I demonstrate how folate deficiency in Japan has triggered sociocultural approaches to manage elderly diseases. Moreover, I suggest policy recommendations to enhance quality of life from two cases on modus operandi and monozukuri of Vitamin M. Thus, this paper can contribute to interdisciplinary approaches by exploring the mechanisms of healthcare in an aging society.
