Case study: Urinary incontinence - the role of a pharmacist in an aged care Residential Medication Management Review

Polypharmacy and increased age are two risk factors for urinary incontinence for residents living in aged care facilities. To reduce this risk for older Australians living in residential aged care facilities, their general practitioner can make a referral to an accredited pharmacist for a Residential Medication Management Review. Medication reviews can address any drug-related problems related to urinary incontinence. We present a case study of a 76-year-old woman with multiple co-morbidities, whose prescribed medicines were reviewed two weeks after returning to her aged care facility from hospital. The medication reconciliation on admission to hospital had been suboptimal, leading to the duplication of medication prescribed to treat urinary incontinence, and this continued on her return to the aged care facility. The focus for the medication review was her worsening urinary incontinence and to decrease her Drug Burden Index, with the aim to reduce her confusion and falls risk. To improve the woman's symptoms, the pharmacist recommended changes to prescribed medications and some were accepted by the general practitioner. This case illustrates the benefits of a pharmacist being a member of the multidisciplinary team for treating urinary incontinence.