Table 1. PCERS patients and GPs characteristics.
| Characteristic | ||
|---|---|---|
| Individuals on ONS, n = 912 | % | Median (range) |
| Sex | ||
| Male | 43.5 | |
| Female | 56.5 | |
| Age | 76 (18 to 101) | |
| ≥18 to 44 years | 11.3 | |
| ≥45 to 64 years | 21.8 | |
| ≥65 years | 66.9 | |
| Area | ||
| South/south east Dublin | 16.0 | |
| West/south west Dublin | 41.4 | |
| North/north west Dublin | 42.5 | |
| Residential status | ||
| Living in residential care | 18.2 | |
| Living independently | 81.7 | |
| Number of ONS products in 2018 | 1 (1 to 4) | |
| Number of ONS units in 2018 | 660 (12 to 3250) | |
| Patients on more than 1 ONS | 10.0 | |
| Patients on ONS previous year | 96.2 | |
| Number of medications | 6.0 | (0 to 18) |
| Polypharmacy | ||
| No polypharmacy (<5 drugs) | 32.9 | |
| Polypharmacy (≥5 drugs) | 45.6 | |
| Excessive polypharmacy (≥10) | 21.5 | |
| Patient CNS drug dispensed a | ||
| No CNS drug | 24.8 | |
| CNS drug (<5 drugs) | 65.9 | |
| CNS polypharmacy or excessive polypharmacy (≥5 drugs) | 9.3 | |
| Patient circulatory drug dispensed b | ||
| No circulatory drug | 38.4 | |
| Circulatory drug (<5 drugs) | 42.7 | |
| Circulatory polypharmacy or excessive polypharmacy (≥5 drugs) | 19.0 | |
| GPs, n = 405 | ||
| Sex | ||
| Male | 59.0 | |
| Female | 41.0 | |
| Age | 53 (33 to 72) | |
| ≥18 to 44 years | 23.2 | |
| ≥45 to 64 years | 61.5 | |
| ≥65 years | 15.3 | |
| Area | ||
| South/south east Dublin | 23.2 | |
| West/south west Dublin | 35.1 | |
| North/north west Dublin | 39.3 | |
| Otherc | 2.5 | |
| Number of patients on ONS | 2 (1 to 17) | |
| GPs with > 2 patients on ONS | 27.9 | |
aCNS medication include drugs to treat anxiety; insomnia; psychoses; mood disorders; obsessive compulsive disorder; nausea; vomiting; vertigo; epilepsy and seizures; Parkinson's; Alzheimer's; multiple sclerosis; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and narcolepsy. bCirculatory medication include drugs to treat hypertension; oedema; heart failure; arrhythmias; angina; prevent myocardial infarction, stroke, and vascular events; hypercholesterolaemia; vascular diseases such as Raynaud's and pulmonary arterial hypertension; haemorrhage; anaemia and neutropenia. cA minority of patients attended GPs with practices in different areas to their residential area.
CNS = central nervous system. GP = general practitioner. ONS = oral nutritional supplements. PCERS = Primary Care and Eligibility Reimbursement Service.