Table 3

The Bergen District Nursing Home (BEDNURS) study: potential medication problems (n=2445) identified by a multidisciplinary expert panel according to principal problem categories and the three drugs (therapeutic groups) most commonly involved.

Assessment		Drugs (therapeutic groups) most commonly involved in the problems listed
Potential problem	n	No.1 drug	n	No.2 drug	n	No.3 drug	n
*Long term treatment.
†Prescribed for non-psychotic diagnosis/symptoms.
‡Long acting compounds.
§Drug-drug interactions most commonly with other psychoactive drugs.
Indication
Need for additional drug	327	ACE inhibitors	284	Antithrombotics	19	Vitamins (D vitamin)	6
Need for diagnostic test	203	Minerals (e.g. potassium)*	103	Anti-anaemia (iron)*	53	Anti-gout*	17
Unnecessary drug therapy	159	Antidepressants	31	Anxiolytics*	31	Antihistamines*	23
Effectiveness
Choice of drug	492	Antipsychotics†	208	Loop-diuretics	66	Vitamins (C vitamin)	53
Dosage too low	117	Loop diuretics	52	ACE-inhibitors	31	Minerals (e.g. calcium)	14
Safety
Dosage too high	244	Anxiolytics*	101	Hypnotics*	50	Systemic corticosteroids*	38
Risk of adverse drug reaction	637	Opioid analgesics	100	Anxiolytics‡	78	Antidepressants	76
Drug-drug interaction	266	Antipsychotics§	139	Antidepressants§	98	Anxiolytics§	59

Total	2445 (100%)