Quality Use of Medicines in People Living with Dementia
About this PSP
Quality use of medicines means using medicines safely and effectively to get the best possible health outcomes. It also means only using medicines when they are needed. People living with dementia represent the diverse adult health population, having multiple other medical conditions and from all socio-cultural backgrounds. There are many potential areas of research that could improve quality use of medicines for people with dementia.
In the past, health research questions have been led by drug companies or researchers, with little involvement of clinicians and consumers. The aim of the PSP was to determine which questions are important to people with dementia and their care team, to prioritise research in these areas and ensure that outcomes of research are directly relevant to the care of people living with dementia.
This PSP was funded by an AAG Research Trust/Dementia Australia Research Foundation - 2019 Strategic Research Grant.
The Quality Use of Medicines in People Living with Dementia (Australia) PSP Top 10 was published in March 2022.
PSP website
Articles and publications
Key documents
Quality Use of Medicines in People Living with Dementia (Australia) PSP Protocol
Quality Use of Medicines in People Living with Dementia (Australia) PSP Terms of Reference
Quality Use of Medicines in People Living with Dementia (Australia) PSP Summary Video
Quality Use of Medicines in People Living with Dementia (Australia) PSP Top 10 Launch Webinar
Quality Use of Medicines in People Living with Dementia (Australia) PSP Question Verification Form
Quality Use of Medicines in People Living with Dementia (Australia) PSP Engagement Summary
Top 10 Priorities
- How can shared decision making about medicines be achieved between healthcare professionals and people living with dementia and their carers?
- What are effective ways to ensure that healthcare professionals have the necessary knowledge and skills to achieve safe effective and appropriate medicine use in people living with dementia?
- How can communication between healthcare professionals about medicines be optimised, especially at transitions of care, to achieve multi-disciplinary care for people living with dementia?
- Which medicines are potentially harmful or unnecessary in people living with dementia and should be stopped? And how can deprescribing (cessation of harmful and/or unnecessary medicines) be achieved in people living with dementia?
- When, how and in who should medicines be used to manage pain in people living with dementia?
- How can people living with dementia and their carers be supported to manage medicines safely at home?
- When and how should medicines be used to treat changed behaviours (previously referred to as behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia)? Including for different types of dementia. And how to safely and effectively reduce the use of antipsychotics (for changed behaviours) in people living with dementia?
- How can residential aged care facilities best achieve safe, effective and appropriate medicine use in residents with dementia?
- When, how and in who should medicines be used to treat depression and anxiety in people living with dementia?
- What is the optimal model for medicine reviews to achieve safe, effective and appropriate medicine use in people living with dementia? Including who should be involved, how often should reviews be conducted, and what follow-up is needed?
The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:
- What is the best way to monitor for benefits (or lack of benefits) and harms (side effects and other risks) of medicines in people living with dementia?
- Which medicines impair function and activities of daily living in people living with dementia?
- Which medicines worsen memory and thinking in people living with dementia or speed up decline of dementia?
- How can healthcare professionals best educate people living with dementia and their carers about their medicines?
- How can advanced care plans be used to inform decisions about medicines when the individual no longer has capacity to express their wishes?
- What are effective ways to ensure that healthcare workers in residential aged care have the necessary knowledge and skills to achieve safe, effective and appropriate medicine use in people living with dementia?
Document downloads
For full details of all of the questions identified by this PSP, please see the document below.