Determination of Anticholinergic Medication Use in Patients Prescribed Medications for the Treatment of Dementia.

Abstract

The primary endpoint of the study is to determine the variations in the use of medications to treat dementia in patients concomitantly or not prescribed anticholinergics. The study is a case series of patients at a single community pharmacy over one year based on prescription claims data. The setting is an independent community pharmacy in the South. The main outcome is the variations associated in treatment plans for patients either receiving anticholinergics or not receiving medications with anticholinergic properties. The community pharmacy had 33 patients on medications to treat dementia, and 17 patients (51.5%) were prescribed anticholinergic medications. Only patients on anticholinergic medications were prescribed memantine immediate-release. Fifteen patients (93%) not prescribed anticholinergic medications were on a single medication to treat dementia, whereas 9 patients (52%) prescribed anticholinergic medications were on a single medication to treat dementia. Further research should be conducted in this area to better ascertain the impact anticholinergic medications have on patients. This study noted differences from previous data regarding the prevalence of concomitant prescribing of medications for the treatment of dementia and anticholinergics.