Most Common Medications Used In Nursing Homes

Are you thinking of selecting a nursing home for the elderly and you want to know about most common medications used in nursing homes so read on.

Most Common Medications Used In Nursing Homes

Well the data that is present on most common medications used in nursing homes is limited so the information here is based on some small studies. In a year approximately 3.5 million individuals receive care and services in a nursing home.

Antibiotics are some of the most commonly prescribed medications used in nursing homes as with 50 to 70 percent of residents receiving an antibiotic over the course of a year. Almost 50% percent of antibiotics prescribed in nursing homes are prescribed incorrectly.

Antibiotics like aspirin and ibuprofen are in general selective for most common medications used in nursing homes.

Problems in Most Common Medications Used In Nursing Homes

Most common medications used in nursing homes are generally an antibiotic and they are used when not needed, choosing the wrong antibiotic, and using the correct antibiotic but for the wrong dose or wrong duration is the main issue of all the nursing homes.

Prescribing most common medications used in nursing homes lead to harmful and bad in side effects, allergic reactions and antibiotic-resistant infections. This is especially concerning because nursing home residents are already at high risk for getting ill and fever.

From following year of data research done by a CDC examined the medical records of nine U.S. nursing homes in a total of around four different states to assess how many antibiotics residents received in a single day and the reason for those prescriptions.

Researchers found that around 10% percent of nursing home residents were on antibiotics on a given researched of that single day. One in three of these most common medications used in nursing homes was for the treatment of urinary tract infections; yet at least half of these prescriptions were for either the wrong drug, over dose, or a long duration.

Brands in most common medications used in nursing homes

List of Most Common Medications Used In Nursing Homes ;

Lisinopril—angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. Used for treating high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and to improve survival after a heart attack.
Lasix—loop diuretic used for treating high blood pressure or water retention.
Zoloft—antidepressant. Used for treating depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Protonix—a proton pump inhibitor which decreases the amount of acid produced in the stomach. Used to treat erosive esophagitis and other conditions involving excess stomach acid.
Remeron—an antidepressant, used for treating depression.
Synthroid—thyroid hormone used to treat low thyroid activity.

Aricept—used for treating dementia of the Alzheimer’s type.
Seroquel—an antipsychotic medication used to treat the symptoms of conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Ativan—anti-anxiety medication used to treat anxiety or anxiety associated with symptoms of depression.
Coumadin—anticoagulant used to treat or prevent blood clots.

The most common brands used in the most common medications in nursing homes :

Cymbalta
Vyvanse
Lyrica
Spiriva Handihaler
Lantus
Celebrex
Abilify
Januvia
Namenda
Viagra
Cialis
Zetia
Nasonex
Subutex
Symbicort
Bystolic
Flovent HFA
Pitocin
ARB
Insulin

Side effects Most Common Medications Used In Nursing Homes

The basic and most common side effects of these ten medications and the frequency of these side effects are as follows:

muscle weakness
nausea
dizziness
diarrhea
drowsiness
stomach upset
tiredness
headache
sleeplessness
lightheadedness
constipation

Common Medications Used In Nursing Homes Conclusion

Some of the above brands are listed as the n most nursing facilities, the medication is given when the nursing staff member is said to complete a “med pass”. The term is used when describing the process of dispensing medication to nursing facility residents according to order. The nurse usually uses a tupper cart when doing a med pass, giving out base medication from to resident according to the doctors’ orders.

Med passes are carried out only by the authoritative and designated licensed nurses. Some states, on the other hand, will allow unlicensed staff members to provide medication as long as a nurse is supervising. Med passes usually take around a time period of 3-5 hours to complete. In addition to giving the medication, it can take several more hours to organize the medications and prescription.

So think and choose properly a good nursing home as most common medications used in nursing homes are not that regulated as they should be.