Medication-Related Admissions Among Older Patients in a Danish Emergency Department: Prevalence, Preventability and Characterisation

The prevalence of medication-related admissions (MRAs) among older medical patients admitted to Danish emergency departments (EDs) remains limited. We aimed to determine the prevalence of possibly medication-related admissions (PMRAs) in this population, assess their preventability and identify patient characteristics that distinguish between patients with and without a PMRA. This retrospective, exploratory, descriptive secondary analysis included acutely admitted older medical patients (≥ 65 years) from the ED of Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark, between October 2018 and April 2021. PMRAs were initially assessed using the Assessment Tool for Hospital Admissions Related to Medications, followed by final classifications and preventability assessments by an experienced panel of pharmacists and a pharmacologist. Among 193 admissions, 31 (16.1%) were classified as PMRAs, and 15 (48.4%) and 11 (35.5%) of these were deemed potentially or definitely preventable, respectively. Untreated conditions (19.4%) and miscommunication (16.1%) were identified as the most common reasons for PMRAs. No specific patient characteristics reliably distinguished between patients with and without a PMRA. In conclusion, MRAs appear to be highly prevalent in Danish EDs, emphasising the need for improved identification and prevention strategies.