Regular Medications Administered to Older Adults in Aged Care Facilities: A Retrospective Descriptive Study.

This was a descriptive study of administration records, not an effectiveness or safety study, so it cannot show whether medications were appropriate, harmful, or should be stopped. Only regular prescribed medications administered by staff were included; PRN and short-course medications were excluded, so total medication burden may be incomplete. The dataset did not include diagnoses, comorbidities or indications, so reasons for prescribing and appropriateness cannot be assessed. Only residents who stayed in care for the full year were included, so temporary, respite, move-in and end-of-life periods were excluded. Staff roles were grouped only by electronic chart permissions, not consistent qualifications or training, so administration by non-nursing staff cannot be interpreted as safe or unsafe. Over-the-counter and complementary medicines were excluded, and medication names required manual matching, so some medication counts may be imperfect.

The corresponding author had a prior perceived familial conflict of interest with Medi-Map Ltd, where two family members held senior roles until December 2023; the March 2024 data request was managed by a Chief Technical Officer with no prior relationship. The other authors declared no competing financial or personal interests. Funding was from Monash University School of Nursing and Midwifery, Future Research Leader Grant.

Do not conclude that paracetamol, laxatives or quetiapine are inappropriate or that stopping them would improve outcomes. The study only describes what was administered to residents who stayed in care for the whole year, excludes PRN and short-course medicines, and lacks diagnoses, indications, harms and effectiveness data.