Medication-related problems occurring in people with diabetes during an admission to an adult teaching hospital: A retrospective cohort study

AimsTo examine the characteristics of medication-related problems occurring in people with diabetes admitted to hospital and to identify risk factors for medication-related problems.MethodsA retrospective cohort study of medication-related problems occurring in patients admitted to an adult, inner-city Australian teaching hospital was conducted over two-years. The risk factors associated with medication-related problems were identified using random effect logistic regression.ResultsThere were 9530 admissions of people with diabetes involving 5205 individuals over a two-year period. Medication-related problems were associated with 686 (7.2%) admissions involving 571 individuals (11.0%). The most common medication-related problems were medication errors (64.1%) associated with hypoglycaemia and unintentional overdose. Five factors were significantly associated with medication-related problems: female gender [odds ratio (OR) 1.30, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.11–1.52], age of 18–50 years (OR 2.32, CI 1.85–2.91), single marital status (OR 1.46, CI 1.24–1.74), mental and behavioural problems (OR 1.74, 1.43–2.11), and a comorbidity index score of at least one (OR 1.35–1.67).ConclusionsFive significant risk factors were associated with medication-related problems in people with diabetes admitted to hospital. These risks need to be considered when developing care plans and interventions to prevent medication-related problems for individuals with diabetes.