Background: Home healthcare nurses in their roles as caregivers, educators and administrators of medications are particularly well positioned to act on a preventive way to be alert of adverse drug reactions. However, knowledge about medication and a professional attitude is required.
Aim: To describe medication-related knowledge and perspectives of Dutch home healthcare nurses regarding frequent used medication by older people.
Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among home healthcare nurses (n=146) in the Netherlands based on the ten most frequently used drugs by older people.
Finding: The mean score for total medication knowledge was 76.2% of the maximum score. Most home healthcare nurses (80.3%) felt responsible for improving older patients' medication use. Three-quarters of the home healthcare nurses agreed with the statement: "By taking appropriate action at the right time, I am able to prevent a medication-related hospital admission".
Conclusion: Although most home healthcare nurses felt responsible for their older patients' proper medication use and agreed with the statement that they played a role in preventing older patients' medication-related hospital admissions, their knowledge regarding medications could be improved.
Implications for practice: Home healthcare nurses should profit as a professional from gaining more knowledge of medication frequently used by older people.
© 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.