Article ID: oa.2020-0031
The medication errors may be caused by excess caregiving workload due to shortage of caregivers. To improve safety of elderly pharmacotherapy, the medication support workload was investigated and simulated by changing medication timing. The medication support workload was investigated from the number of medication and caregiver at breakfast, lunch, evening meal and bedtime in an elderly facility. We simulated the workload associated with changing medication timing. There was 51 residents who received medication support in the elderly facility. The total number of daily medications was 191, 48, 120 and 33 at breakfast, lunch, evening meal and bedtime, respectively. The mean number of medication supporter was 2, 3, 3.2 and 3 at breakfast, lunch, evening meal and bedtime, respectively. Fifty four formulations administered once daily at breakfast have not been specified medication timing on package inserts. If these 54 formulations are administered at lunch time, the number of medication will be changed from 191 to 117 at breakfast and 48 to 122 at lunch. The medication support workload of a caregiver will be changed from 95.5 to 59.0 medications (25 to 20 residents) and 16.0 to 40.3 medications (8.7 to 12 residents) at breakfast and lunch, respectively.
The medication support workload of a caregiver was highest at breakfast time in a day. Changing the medication timing of once daily formulation from breakfast to lunch time can level the medication support workload of a caregiver in a day.
