Urinary incontinence: let’s talk about leaks

Case scenario

Mrs Tan, an 82-year-old woman, visits your pharmacy to refill her medicines for hypertension and arthritis. When asked about how she is doing with all her medicines, she mentions to you that she recently had increasing episodes of urinary leakage, which she had not previously disclosed to her doctor due to embarrassment.

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Introduction

The bladder serves two primary roles: it stores urine and facilitates its release. When either function is impaired, it can lead to urinary incontinence, which refers to the unintentional leakage of urine.^1,2

Incontinence often leads to reduced quality of life and is under-recognised due to stigma. Urinary incontinence affects all ages and is particularly common in older people. Approximately 5% of people aged 65–84 years experience severe incontinence, increasing to up to 28% in those aged 85 years and over.¹

Classification of urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence can be classified into se