Gloup Survey Australia
Introduction.
Gloup is the only registered medical device available in Australia that is designed as medication
lubricant to help people who find it difficult to swallow their pills whole, including those with dysphagia (swallowing
difficulties).
Aim.
This survey study evaluated the extent of use and usefulness of Gloup in medication administration practices in
aged care facilities (ACFs) based on the experiences of healthcare workers.
Method.
Healthcare workers of varying professional levels in ACFs across Australia who are involved in medication
administration were invited to participate in a structured online survey.
Results.
A total of 355 healthcare workers completed the survey. Overall, 48% (170/355) of the respondents had
used Gloup. Of those who had never used Gloup before, almost one-third of these (58/185) had heard about the
product. The majority of respondents that have used Gloup believed it to be an effective method to facilitate pill swallowing (Fig. 1). Easier medication administration (48%), reduction in the need to crush pills (34%), and better
medication compliance (33%) were reported as the main benefits of using Gloup.
Discussion.
Using Gloup may facilitate the process of medication administration for healthcare workers and improve residents’ compliance with medications. Potential risks associated with modifying medications such as drug toxicities or increased adverse effects, may also be avoided with Gloup when the need for crushing medications is resolved. Further studies are needed to confirm the clinical effectiveness of Gloup.