Johan Fastbom

Johan Fastbom is a clinical pharmacologist and professor in geriatric pharmacology at the Aging Research Center (ARC). He is also employed part-time as an expert in pharmacology at the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare.

Johan Fastbom has been the main supervisor of five and co-supervisor of ten PhD students, who have defended their dissertations. He is currently co-supervisor of four PhD students. His publication list includes more than 130 original papers and over 40 other publications (reports, reviews, book chapters, textbooks) in basic neuroscience, geriatric pharmacology, and pharmacoepidemiology. He often serves as a referee for pharmacological and epidemiological journals. Johan regularly gives lectures in geriatric pharmacology to health care personnel, physicians, pensioners and their relatives, as well as politicians.

Research field and research areas

Johan Fastbom’s major research field is geriatric pharmacology and his specific areas of research include:

• Inappropriate drug use in older people
• Indicators of quality of drug use in the elderly
• Register-based geriatric pharmacoepidemiology
• Drug use in frail elderly
• Adverse drug reactions in the elderly
• Inequalities in older people’s drug use
• Methods to improve quality of drug use in the elderly

Selected publications

Klarin I, Wimo A, Fastbom J. The Association of Inappropriate Drug Use with Hospitalization and Mortality. A Population-Based Study of the Very Old. Drugs Aging. 2005;22(1):69-82.

Johnell K, Fastbom J, Rosen M, Leimanis A. Inappropriate drug use in the elderly: a nationwide register-based study. Ann Pharmacother. 2007;41(7):1243-8.

Johnell K, Weitoft GR, Fastbom J. Education and use of dementia drugs: a register-based study of over 600,000 older people. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2008;25(1):54-9.

Haider SI, Johnell K, Ringbäck Weitoft G, Thorslund M, Fastbom J. The influence of educational level on polypharmacy and inappropriate drug use: a register-based study of more than 600,000 older people. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009;57(1):62-9.

Indikatorer för god läkemedelsterapi hos äldre. Socialstyrelsen 2010-6-29.

Olsson J, Bergman A, Carlsten A, Oké T, Bernsten C, Schmidt IK, Fastbom J. Quality of drug prescribing in elderly people in nursing homes and special care units for dementia: a cross-sectional computerized pharmacy register analysis. Clin Drug Investig. 2010;30(5):289-300.

Ulfvarson J, Rahmner PB, Fastbom J, Sjöviker S, Karlsson EA. Medication reviews with computerised expert support: evaluation of a method to improve the quality of drug utilisation in the elderly. Int J Health Care Qual Assur. 2010;23(6):571-82.

Haasum Y, Fastbom J, Fratiglioni L, Johnell K. Undertreatment of osteoporosis in persons with dementia? A population-based study. Osteoporos Int. 2011 Apr 16. [Epub ahead of print]

Sjöberg C, Edward C, Fastbom J, Johnell K, Landahl S, Narbro K, Wallerstedt SM. Association between Multi-Dose Drug Dispensing and Quality of Drug Treatment – A Register-Based Study. PLoS One. 2011;6(10):e26574.

Wastesson JW, Parker MG, Fastbom J, Thorslund M, Johnell K. Drug use in centenarians compared with nonagenarians and octogenarians in Sweden: a nationwide register-based study. Age Ageing. 2011 Nov 29. [Epub ahead of print]

Haasum Y, Fastbom J, Johnell K. Institutionalization as a risk factor for inappropriate drug use in the elderly: a Swedish nationwide register-based study. Ann Pharmacother. 2012 Mar;46(3):339-46.

Johnell K, Fastbom J. Comparison of Prescription Drug Use between Community-Dwelling and Institutionalized Elderly in Sweden. Drugs Aging. 2012;29(9):751-8.