INTRODUCTION: Psychotropic medications have a significant adverse drug event profile, particularly in older adults, and appropriate use is paramount. Patterns of prescribing in community-dwelling older adults in New Zealand remain unknown. AIM: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and the pattern of psychotropic use amongst community-dwelling older @entity1 in New Zealand and to identify any association between depressive symptomatology and psychotropic medication use. METHODS: Data were collected on the demographics, medication use and mood status of community-dwelling older adults from two New Zealand studies: the @entity28231 trial, which recruited potentially disabled @entity1 (N=141) and the DeLLITE trial, which recruited potentially depressed @entity1 (N=193). The prevalence and the pattern of psychotropic use were established and the gender, age and level of @entity308 assessed using regression analysis. RESULTS: The use of any psychotropic medication was 28.9% in the @entity28231 trial and 43.5% in the DeLLITE trial. Antidepressants were the most commonly used psychotropic medication in the two studies, followed by hypnotics and sedatives. Psychotropic use was highly correlated with the presence of @entity308 in the @entity28231 trial and with female gender in the DeLLITE trial. Age was not associated with psychotropic medication use. In both studies, there is possible underdiagnosed, undertreated and inappropriately treated @entity308 . DISCUSSION: The prevalence of psychotropic medication use is high in community-dwelling older @entity1 with disability and very high in community-dwelling older @entity1 with @entity308 , but varies by gender and level of @entity308 .

Medication use in community-dwelling older XXXX : pharmacoepidemiology of psychotropic utilisation.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['participants', 'people'] @entity28231 :: ('1820', 'Gene') :: ['BRIGHT'] @entity308 :: ('MESH:D003866', 'Disease') :: ['depressive symptoms', 'depression']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['people']
