RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method를 이용한 요양시설의 포괄적 약물관리 프로그램의 대상자 기준 개발

Background: Comprehensive medication management is essential to achieve safe and optimal drug use for the elderly in long-term care facilities (LTCF). This study aimed to develop eligibility criteria for ”Comprehensive medication management program in LTCF” using the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method (RAM). Furthermore, we attempted to estimate the number of beneficiaries who met the criteria by analyzing the National Health Insurance claims data. Methods: Twelve criteria were selected initially. We composed a panel of 14 experts with expertise in long-term care. We conducted two survey rounds to reach a consensus. Rating for appropriateness and decision regarding agreement were applied per RAM. We analyzed the National Health Insurance data to estimate the number of LTCF residents who met each eligibility criterion. Results: Of the 11 items agreed upon, ten items were determined to be appropriate. In 2018, 83.6% of 165,994 residents of LTCF met one or more eligibility criteria. The largest number of subjects met the “New residents of LTCF” criterion, followed by “Take high-alert drugs” and “Chronic excessive polypharmacy.” Since the items evaluated as most appropriate by the expert panel and those with a large number of subjects were similar, we confirmed the external validity of our criteria. Conclusion: It is worth noting that this is the first attempt to establish the eligibility criteria for medication management in LTCF. Further preliminary research is needed to identify the selected subjects' drugrelated problems and revise the criteria according to the results.