Is Covert Medication in Norwegian Nursing Homes Still a Problem?A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and objective: The practice of hiding medicines in nursing home patients’ food or beverages is described in only a few scientific papers. An earlier study conducted in 1999/2000 showed that covert medication was common in Norwegian nursing homes, with 11% of patients in regular nursing home units (RUs) and 17% of those in special care units for patients with dementia (SCUs) receiving at least one covert medication during the last 7 days. However, that study included few details about the medications involved. Therefore, we designed a study to obtain more detailed information about the practice of covert medication. The objectives of the study were to describe how widespread the practice is, identify the reasons for giving the medicine in disguise, determine what kinds of medicine are given in disguise, and establish who makes the decision about covert medication.