Prescribing potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) in Germany's elderly as indicated by the PRISCUS list. An analysis based on regional claims data

Implementation of an electronic medication management support system in hospitalised polypharmacy patients: study protocol of a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised controlled trial (TOP study)

INTRODUCTION

Polypharmacy is associated with an increased risk of adverse patient outcomes across various settings, including inpatient care. To enhance the appropriateness of medication therapy management for patients during hospital stays, computerised interventions have shown promise with regard to patient safety. This study assesses whether the implementation of a clinical decision support system will optimise the process of inpatient medication therapy to prevent inappropriate medication use and thus promote patient safety.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The intervention will be evaluated in a prospective, cluster-randomised controlled trial using a stepped-wedge design. The study will be conducted in 12 hospitals across Germany over a total period of 33 months. Patients will be treated according to the group status of the hospital and receive either standard care or the Transsektorale Optimierung der Patientensicherheit or trans-sectoral optimisation of patient safety intervention. The primary outcome is the combined endpoint of all-cause mortality and all-cause hospitalisation. Secondary endpoints are, for example, inappropriate prescriptions, utilisation of different health services, cost-effectiveness, as well as patient-reported outcome measures. Parameters describing the attitudes of patients and healthcare professionals towards the intervention and organisational change processes will be collected as part of the process evaluation. The primary endpoint will be evaluated using hospital and outpatient claims data from participating statutory health insurances at the population level. There are multiple secondary endpoints with data linkage of primary and secondary data at study participant level. Statistical analysis will make use of (generalised) linear mixed models or generalised estimating equations, taking account of independent covariables. All data analyses of the process evaluation will be descriptive and explorative.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Data collection, storage and evaluation meet all applicable data protection regulations. The trial has been approved by the Ethics Committees of the University of Wuppertal and the Medical Association of Saarland, Germany. Results will be disseminated through workshops, peer-reviewed publications and local and international conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

DRKS00025485.

The prevalence of polypharmacy in older Europeans: A multi-national database study of general practitioner prescribing

AIMS

The aims of this study were to measure the prevalence of polypharmacy and describe the prescribing of selected medications known for overuse in older people with polypharmacy in primary care.

METHODS

This was a multinational retrospective cohort study across six countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. We used anonymized longitudinal patient-level information from general practice databases hosted by IQVIA. Patients ≥65 years were included. Polypharmacy was defined as having 5-9 and ≥10 distinct drug classes (ATC Level 3) prescribed during a 6-month period. Selected medications were: opioids, antipsychotics, proton pump inhibitors (PPI), benzodiazepines (ATC Level 5). We included country experts on the healthcare context to interpret findings.

RESULTS

Age and gender distribution was similar across the six countries (mean age 75-76 years; 54-56% female). The prevalence of polypharmacy of 5-9 drugs was 22.8% (UK) to 58.3% (Germany); ≥10 drugs from 11.3% (UK) to 28.5% (Germany). In the polypharmacy population prescribed ≥5 drugs, opioid prescribing ranged from 11.5% (France) to 27.5% (Spain). Prescribing of PPI was highest with almost half of patients receiving a PPI, 42.3% (Germany) to 65.5% (Spain). Benzodiazepine prescribing showed a marked variation between countries, 2.7% (UK) to 34.9% (Spain). The healthcare context information explained possible underreporting for selected medications.

CONCLUSIONS

We have found a high prevalence of polypharmacy with more than half of the older population being prescribed ≥5 drugs in four of the six countries. Whilst polypharmacy may be appropriate in many patients, worryingly high usage of PPIs and benzodiazepines supports current efforts to improve polypharmacy management across Europe.

Variability in the prevalence of inappropriate medication use among older adults: A review highlighting the importance of screening methods and database types

AIMS

The global older population is growing rapidly, and the rise in polypharmacy has increased potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) encounters. PIMs pose health risks, but detecting them automatically in large medical databases is complex. This review aimed to uncover PIM prevalence in individuals aged 65 years or older using health databases and emphasized the risk of underestimating PIM prevalence due to underutilization of detection tools.

METHODS

This study conducted a broad search on the Medline database to identify articles about the prevalence of PIMs in older adults using various databases. Articles published between January 2010 and June 2023 were included, and specific criteria were applied for study selection. Two literature reviews conducted before our study period were integrated to obtain a perspective from the 1990s to the present day. The selected papers were analysed for variables including database type, screening method, adaptations and PIM prevalence. The study categorized databases and original screening tools for clarity, examined adaptations and assessed concordance among different screening methods.

RESULTS

This study encompassed 48 manuscripts, covering 58 sample evaluations. The mean prevalence of PIMs within the general population aged over 65 years was 27.8%. Relevant heterogeneity emerged in both the utilized databases and the detection methods. Adaptation of original screening tools was observed in 86.2% (50/58) of cases. Half of the original screening tools used for assessing PIMs belonged to the simple category. About a third of the studies employed less than half of the original criteria after adaptation. Only three studies used over 75% of the original criteria and more than 50 criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

This extensive review highlights PIM prevalence among the older adults, emphasizing method intricacies and the potential for underestimation due to data limitations and algorithm adjustments. The findings call for enhanced methodologies, transparent algorithms and a deeper understanding of intricate rules' impact on public health implications.

Can peer effects explain prescribing appropriateness? a social network analysis

BACKGROUND

Optimizing prescribing practices is important due to the substantial clinical and financial costs of polypharmacy and an increasingly aging population. Prior research shows the importance of social relationships in driving prescribing behaviour. Using social network analysis, we examine the relationship between a physician practices' connectedness to peers and their prescribing performance in two German regions.

METHODS

We first mapped physician practice networks using links established between two practices that share 8 or more patients; we calculated network-level (density, average path length) and node-level measures (degree, betweenness, eigenvector). We defined prescribing performance as the total number of inappropriate medications prescribed or appropriate medications not prescribed (PIMs) to senior patients (over the age of 65) during the calendar year 2016. We used FORTA (Fit fOR The Aged) algorithm to classify medication appropriateness. Negative binomial regression models estimate the association between node-level measures and prescribing performance of physician practices controlling for patient comorbidity, provider specialization, percentage of seniors in practice, and region. We conducted two sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of our findings - i) limiting the network mapping to patients younger than 65; ii) limiting the network ties to practices that share more than 25 patients.

RESULTS

We mapped two patient-sharing networks including 436 and 270 physician practices involving 28,508 and 20,935 patients and consisting of 217,126 and 154,274 claims in the two regions respectively. Regression analyses showed a practice's network connectedness as represented by degree, betweenness, and eigenvector centrality, is significantly negatively associated with prescribing performance (degree-bottom vs. top quartile aRR = 0.04, 95%CI: 0.035,0.045; betweenness-bottom vs. top quartile aRR = 0.063 95%CI: 0.052,0.077; eigenvector-bottom vs. top quartile aRR = 0.039, 95%CI: 0.034,0.044).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides evidence that physician practice prescribing performance is associated with their peer connections and position within their network. We conclude that practices occupying strategic positions at the edge of networks with advantageous access to novel information are associated with better prescribing outcomes, whereas highly connected practices embedded in insulated information environments are associated with poor prescribing performance.

Drug Safety Profiles of Geriatric Patients Referred to Consultation Psychiatry in the Emergency Department-A Retrospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

Geriatric patients account for a significant proportion of the collective treated by psychiatric consultation service in hospitals. In the Emergency Department (ED), psychotropic drugs are frequently recommended, notwithstanding their extensive side-effect profiles. This study sought to investigate medication safety of geriatric patients referred to psychiatric consultation service in the ED.

METHODS

Medication lists of 60 patients from the general internal medicine and trauma surgery EDs referred to psychiatric consultation service were analyzed. Utilizing PRISCUS list and Fit fOR The Aged (FORTA) classification, prescriptions of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) were assessed.

RESULTS

84 drugs were newly prescribed following psychiatric consultations. The total number of drugs per patient was 5.4 ± 4.2 before psychiatric consultation and 6.5 ± 4.2 thereafter (p < .001). 22.6 % of the newly recommended drugs were PIMs according to the PRISCUS list, while 54.8 % were designated as therapeutic alternatives to PIMs. 54.8 % and 20.2 % of the newly recommended drugs were FORTA category C and D drugs, respectively. An average of 1.2 ± 1.7 drug-drug interactions (DDIs) existed before psychiatric consultation and 1.3 ± 1.9 DDIs thereafter (p = .08).

CONCLUSION

The majority of newly recommended drugs by psychiatric consultation service in the ED were designated as suitable therapeutic alternatives to PIMs according to the PRISCUS list, but had comparatively unfavorable ratings according to the FORTA classification, demonstrating discrepancies between these two PIM classification systems. Physicians delivering psychiatric consultation services in the ED should not solely rely on one PIM classification system.

Using PIM-Taiwan, PRISCUS, and Beers criteria to assess potentially inappropriate medication use among older adults with 90-day rehospitalization: a population-based study in Taiwan

Background: Multimorbidity and polypharmacy increase the risk of hospitalization in older adults receiving potentially inappropriate medication (PIM). The current study compared the ability of PIM-Taiwan, PRISCUS, and Beers criteria to predict 90-day rehospitalization in older patients with and without PIM. Methods: The retrospective cohort study used Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Database to retrieve quarterly information about prescribed medication for adults aged ≥65 years hospitalized between 2001 and 2018. We analyzed the association of PIM with 90-day rehospitalization using logistic regression. Results: The study cohort included 206,058 older adults (mean age: 72.5 years). In the analysis, 133,201 (64.6%), 97,790 (47.5%), and 147,450 (71.6%), were identified as having PIM exposure in PIM-Taiwan, PRICUS, and Beers criteria, respectively. PIM-Taiwan criteria found exposure to PIM affecting the cardiovascular (adjusted OR [aOR] 1.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.32-1.41), gastrointestinal (aOR 1.26, 95% CI = 1.23-1.30), central nervous (aOR 1.11, 95% CI = 1.08-1.14), and respiratory (aOR 1.16, 95% CI = 1.12-1.20) systems significantly increased the risk of 90-day rehospitalization, after adjustment for covariates. In PRISCUS criteria, exposure to PIM affecting the respiratory (aOR 1.48, 95% CI = 1.41-1.56), central nervous (aOR 1.12, 95% CI = 1.09-1.15), and cardiovascular (aOR 1.20, 95% CI = 1.16-1.24) systems significantly increased the risk. In Beers criteria, exposure to PIM affecting the cardiovascular (aOR 1.37, 95% CI = 1.32-1.41), gastrointestinal (aOR 1.38, 95% CI = 1.35-1.42), central nervous (aOR 1.18, 95% CI = 1.15-1.21), endocrine (aOR 1.10, 95% CI = 1.06-1.15), and respiratory (aOR 1.09, 95% CI = 1.04-1.13) systems significantly increased the risk. Patients with 90-day rehospitalization had higher rates of the potentially harmful drug-drug interaction (DDI) pairs of serotonin syndrome (n = 19; 48.8%), QT prolongation (n = 4; 30.8%), extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) (n = 102; 24.5%), and hypokalemia (n = 275; 20.1%). Conclusion: Beers criteria was more efficient in predicting 90-day rehospitalization among older adults experiencing PIM in Taiwan than either PIM-Taiwan or PRISCUS. The risk of 90-day rehospitalization was associated with the potentially harmful DDI classes of serotonin syndrome, QT prolongation, EPS, and hypokalemia.

Potentially inappropriate medication including drug-drug interaction and the risk of frequent falling, hospital admission, and death in older adults - results of a large cohort study (getABI)

Introduction: With growing age, multiple chronic diseases may result in polypharmacy. Drugs that should be avoided in older adults are called potentially inappropriate medications (PIM). Beyond PIM, drug-drug interactions (DDI) are known to be related to adverse drug events. This analysis examines the risk of frequent falling, hospital admission, and death in older adults associated with PIM and/or DDI (PIM/DDI) prescription. Materials and methods: This post hoc analysis used data of a subgroup of the getABI study participants, a large cohort of community-dwelling older adults. The subgroup comprised 2120 participants who provided a detailed medication report by telephone interview at the 5-year getABI follow-up. The risks of frequent falling, hospital admission, and death in the course of the following 2 years were analysed by logistic regression in uni- and multivariable models with adjustment for established risk factors. Results: Data of all 2,120 participants was available for the analysis of the endpoint death, of 1,799 participants for hospital admission, and of 1,349 participants for frequent falling. The multivariable models showed an association of PIM/DDI prescription with frequent falling (odds ratio (OR) 1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-2.60, p = 0.027) as well as with hospital admission (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.04-1.58, p = 0.018), but not with death (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.58-1.72, p = 0.999). Conclusion: PIM/DDI prescription was associated with the risk of hospital admission and frequent falling. No association was found with death by 2 years. This result should alert physicians to provide a closer look at PIM/DDI prescriptions.

Geographic Variation in Top-10 Prescribed Medicines and Potentially Inappropriate Medication in Portugal: An Ecological Study of 2.2 Million Older Adults

Multiple medication intake by older adults is considered a serious public health concern since it is associated with increased risk of adverse drug reactions and potentially inappropriate medication (PIM). This study described the top-10 prescribed active substances considering geographical distribution and PIM prescription in older adults. A cross-sectional ecological study using data on the active substances prescribed to people aged 65 years or older during 2020 was conducted. Information on active substances and the respective defined daily doses (DDD) stratified by age group, sex and region were collected from a Portuguese health administrative database. The average number of prescribed packages and DDD per 1000 inhabitants per day of top-10 active substances were assessed. This study included a total of 2,228,090 older adults (58% females). The furosemide and atorvastatin were the active substances with higher prescription rates (mean DDD/1000 inhabitants/day) in all ARS in both males and females, in comparison with the other top-10 active substances. Our results showed geographic differences in prescription, illustrated by more prescriptions in ARS North and Centre and fewer prescriptions in ARS Algarve. In females, two out of the 10 most prescribed active substances were PIM (benzodiazepines and opioids). Geographic disparities in PIM prescription across Portuguese regions were also observed. This study shows that drugs for the cardiovascular system were the active substances most prescribed to older adults. The prescription of benzodiazepines and opioids, classified as PIM, among females, alerts officials to the need of health policies to decrease inappropriate medication. The observed geographic differences in the 10 most prescribed active substances and in PIM prescription emphasized the importance of investing in medication optimization across the Portuguese regions.

Potentially inappropriate medications according to PRISCUS list and FORTA (Fit fOR The Aged) classification in geriatric psychiatry: a cross-sectional study

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) constitute a frequent cause of hospitalization in older people. The risk of ADRs is increased by the prescription of potentially inappropriate medications for older people (PIMs). The PRISCUS list and the FORTA classification represent established tools to detect PIMs. The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence and characteristics of PIM prescriptions on the gerontopsychiatric ward of a university hospital in Germany. To this aim, medication charts of 92 patients (mean age 75.9 ± 7.7 years; 66.3% female) were analyzed on a weekly basis until patient discharge by utilization of the PRISCUS list and the FORTA classification. Overall, 335 medication reviews comprising 2363 drug prescriptions were analyzed. 3.0% of the prescribed drugs were PIMs according to the PRISCUS list, with benzodiazepines and Z-drugs accounting for nearly half (49.3%) of all PIM prescriptions. 30.4% of the patients were prescribed at least one PRISCUS-PIM, while 43.5% of the study population took at least one FORTA class D drug. A considerable proportion of gerontopsychiatric patients were affected by PIMs; however, the overall number of PIM prescriptions in the study population was low. Further improvements in the quality of prescribing should target the use of sedating agents such as benzodiazepines and Z-drugs. Physicians should be aware of discrepancies between the PRISCUS list and the FORTA classification.

[Potentially Inappropriate Medication of Nursing Home Residents: An Analysis of Risk Factors Based on National Claims Data (AOK) for 2017]

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study was to assess risk factors for prescription of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) to nursing home residents using the PRISCUS list in 2017.

METHODS

Using claims data (AOK) we analysed insured nursing home residents aged 65 or older in 2017. The PRISCUS list was used to identify PIMs. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to analyse risk factors.

RESULTS

The study population in 2017 included 259 328 nursing home residents, out of them 25.5% received at least one potentially inappropriate medication (women: 25.6%/men: 24.9%). Female and younger aged nursing home residents had a higher risk for at least one PRISCUS prescription. Polypharmacy, an increasing number of attending physicians, and hospital stays were additional risk factors for a PRISCUS prescription. Furthermore, regional (Bundesland) variations contributed to differences in PRISCUS prescriptions.

CONCLUSION

The frequent PIM prescriptions in nursing home residents are a relevant topic regarding drug therapy safety. Regional differences, which cannot be explained by nursing home resident characteristics, show options for modifications and the need for further research.

The detection and prevention of adverse drug events in nursing home and home care patients: Study protocol of a quasi-experimental study

AIM

To estimate the cost-effectiveness of an intervention facilitating the early detection of adverse drug events through the means of health professional training and the application of a digital screening tool.

DESIGN

Multi-centred non-randomized controlled trial from August 2018 to March 2020 including 65 nursing homes or home care providers.

METHODS

We aim to estimate the effect of the intervention on the rate of adverse drug events as primary outcome through a quasi-experimental empirical study design. As secondary outcomes, we use hospital admissions and falls. All outcomes will be measured on patient-month level. Once the causal effect of the intervention is estimated, cost-effectiveness will be calculated. For cost-effectiveness, we include all patient costs observed by the German statutory health insurance.

RESULTS

The results of this study will inform about the cost-effectiveness of the optimized drug supply intervention and provide evidence for potential reimbursement within the German statutory health insurance system.

Trampisch H, Timmesfeld N, Thürmann P, Hackmann E, Barkhausen T, Junius-Walker U, Wilm S. Reduction of Potentially Inappropriate Medication in the Elderly

BACKGROUND

Medications with an unfavorable risk-benefit profile in the elderly, and for which there are safer alternatives, are designated as potentially inappropriate medications (PIM). The RIME trial (Reduction of Potentially Inappropriate Medication in the Elderly) was based on PRISCUS, a list of PIM that was developed in 2010 for the German pharmaceuticals market. In this trial, it was studied whether special training and the PRISCUS card could lessen PIM and undesired drug-drug interactions (DDI) among elderly patients in primary care.

METHODS

A three-armed, cluster-randomized, controlled trial was carried out in two regions of Germany. 137 primary care practices were randomized in equal numbers to one of two intervention groups-in which either the primary care physicians alone or the entire practice team received special training-or to a control group with general instructions about medication. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients with at least one PIM or DDI (PIM/DDI) per practice. The primary hypothesis was that at 1 year this endpoint would be more effectively lowered in the intervention groups compared to the control group.

RESULTS

Among 1138 patients regularly taking more than five drugs, 453 (39.8%) had at least one PIM/DDI at the beginning of the trial. The percent - ages of PIM/DDI at the beginning of the trial and 1 year later were 43.0% and 41.3% in the intervention groups and 37.0% and 37.6% in the control group. The estimated intervention effect of any intervention (69 practices) versus control (68 practices) was 2.3% (p = 0.36), while that of team training (35 practices) versus physician training (34 practices) was 4.3% (p = 0.22).

CONCLUSION

The interventions in the RIME trial did not significantly lower the percentage of patients with PIM or DDI.

Comparison of FORTA, PRISCUS and EU(7)-PIM lists on identifying potentially inappropriate medication and its impact on cognitive function in multimorbid elderly German people in primary care: a multicentre observational study

OBJECTIVES

Our study aimed to assess the frequency of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use (according to three PIM lists) and to examine the association between PIM use and cognitive function among participants in the MultiCare cohort.

DESIGN

MultiCare is conducted as a longitudinal, multicentre, observational cohort study.

SETTING

The MultiCare study is located in eight different study centres in Germany.

PARTICIPANTS

3189 patients (59.3% female).

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The study had a cross-sectional design using baseline data from the German MultiCare study. Prescribed and over-the-counter drugs were classified using FORTA (Fit fOR The Aged), PRISCUS (Latin for 'time-honoured') and EU(7)-PIM lists. A mixed-effect multivariate linear regression was performed to calculate the association between PIM use patients' cognitive function (measured with (LDST)).

RESULTS

Patients (3189) used 2152 FORTA PIM (mean 0.9±1.03 per patient), 936 PRISCUS PIM (0.3±0.58) and 4311 EU(7)-PIM (1.4±1.29). The most common FORTA PIM was phenprocoumon (13.8%); the most prevalent PRISCUS PIM was amitriptyline (2.8%); the most common EU(7)-PIM was omeprazole (14.0%). The lists rate PIM differently, with an overall overlap of 6.6%. Increasing use of PIM is significantly associated with reduced cognitive function that was detected with a correlation coefficient of -0.60 for FORTA PIM (p=0.002), -0.72 for PRISCUS PIM (p=0.025) and -0.44 for EU(7)-PIM (p=0.005).

CONCLUSION

We identified PIM using FORTA, PRISCUS and EU(7)-PIM lists differently and found that PIM use is associated with cognitive impairment according to LDST, whereby the FORTA list best explained cognitive decline for the German population. These findings are consistent with a negative impact of PIM use on multimorbid elderly patient outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ISRCTN89818205.

[Adverse drug reaction affecting the urinary tract - the Witten urinary tract adverse reaction score]

The urinary tract is the site of many adverse drug reactions, including the formation of residual urine, urinary retention, pollakisuria, polyuria, nycturia, detrusor stimulation, detrusor inhibition, haematuria, dysuria and other symptoms. Nevertheless, there is no general overview or evaluation of the substances that can trigger these adverse drug reactions. The available lists of "potential inadequate medication" either focus on a pharmacological group of adverse reactions ("anticholinergic burden score"), a group of drugs for a specific indication (LUTS-Forta) or on a selected group of patients (PRISKUS List, Beers List).The following interdisciplinary project has been processed by the group for urogeriatrics in the University of Witten/Herdecke and is intended to fill this gap. We have identified substances which can in principle trigger adverse reactions in the urinary tract - according to a variety of databases. We also categorise the available literature (case reports, case series, RCT, meta-analysis) and present a structured analysis of the risk by 33 experts. This results in a list of 235 substances that can lead to various different adverse reactions of the urinary tract. This list includes a "theoretical" score from the reports in the databases or the corresponding literature, a "practical" score based on an expert evaluation of clinical reality and a cumulative score, classified in accordance with the Rote Liste".It is now possible to classify the extent to which newly prescribed drugs may pose a risk of adverse reactions in different patients. Conversely, this may also help to clarify whether a functional disorder of the urinary tract is fully or partially linked to treatment with a specific drug. We plan to develop an app to assess adverse drug reactions in the urinary tract.

Trends and concerns of potentially inappropriate medication use in patients with cardiovascular diseases

Introduction: The use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) is an alarming social risk factor in cardiovascular patients. PIM administration may result in iatrogenic disorders and adverse consequences may be attenuated by limiting PIM intake.Areas covered: The goal of this review article is to discuss the trends, risks, and concerns regarding PIM administration with focus on cardiovascular patients. To find data, we searched literature using electronic databases (Pubmed/Medline 1966-2021 and Web of Science 1975-2021). The data search terms were cardiovascular diseases, potentially inappropriate medication, potentially harmful drug-drug combination, potentially harmful drug-disease combination, drug interaction, deprescribing, and electronic health record.Expert opinion: Drugs for heart diseases are the most commonly prescribed medications in older individuals. Despite the availability of explicit and implicit PIM criteria, the incidence of PIM use in cardiovascular patients remains high ranging from 7 to 85% in different patient categories. Physician-induced disorders often occur when PIM is administered and adverse effects may be reduced by limiting PIM intake. Main strategies promising for addressing PIM use include deprescribing, implementation of systematic electronic records, pharmacist medication review, and collaboration among cardiologists, internists, geriatricians, clinical pharmacologists, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals as basis of multidisciplinary assessment teams.

Trends and patterns in EU(7)-PIM prescribing to elderly patients in Germany

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to explore patterns and long-term development in prescribing potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) according to the EU(7)-PIM list to elderly patients in Germany.

METHODS

We analysed anonymized German claims data. The study population comprised 6.0 million insured individuals at least 65 years old, including all their prescriptions reimbursed in 2019. For the analysis of long-term development, we used data for the years 2009-2019. Factors associated with PIM prescribing were considered from two perspectives: patient-oriented analysis was performed with logistic regression and prescriber-oriented analysis was performed with multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

EU(7)-PIM prevalence was reduced from 56.9% in 2009 to 45.1% in 2019. Average annual volume (DDDs/insured) decreased from 145 in 2009 to 121 in 2019. These figures are substantially greater than those for the older PRISCUS list. The majority of investigated ATC level 2 groups with the highest EU(7)-PIM DDD volume exhibited substantial decreases; moderate increases were found for antihypertensive and urological drugs. Antithrombotics increased strongly with the introduction of direct oral anticoagulants. The most prevalent EU(7)-PIM medication was diclofenac; however, in the age group 85+ years, apixaban was twice as prevalent as diclofenac. Polypharmacy, female sex, age < 90 years, need for nursing care and living in Eastern regions were identified as risk factors. Prescriber specialty was the most marked factor in the prescriber-oriented analysis.

CONCLUSION

Although the use of EU(7)-PIMs has been declining, regional differences indicate considerable room for improvement. The comparison with PRISCUS highlights the necessity of regular updates of PIM lists.

Preoperative medication use and development of postoperative delirium and cognitive dysfunction

Postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative (neuro‐)cognitive disorder (POCD) are frequent and serious complications after operations. We aim to investigate the association between pre‐operative polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications and the development of POD/POCD in elderly patients. This investigation is part of the European BioCog project (www.biocog.eu), a prospective multicenter observational study with elderly surgical patients. Patients with a Mini‐Mental State Examination score less than or equal to 23 points were excluded. POD was assessed up to 7 days after surgery using the Nursing Delirium Screening Scale, Confusion Assessment Method (for the intensive care unit [ICU]), and a patient chart review. POCD was assessed 3 months after surgery with a neuropsychological test battery. Pre‐operative long‐term medication was evaluated in terms of polypharmacy (≥5 agents) and potentially inappropriate medication (defined by the PRISCUS and European list of potentially inappropriate medications [EU(7)‐PIM] lists), and associations with POD and POCD were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Eight hundred thirty‐seven participants were included for analysis of POD and 562 participants for POCD. Of these, 165 patients (19.7%) fulfilled the criteria of POD and 60 (10.7%) for POCD. After adjusting for confounders, pre‐operative polypharmacy and intake of potentially inappropriate medications could not be shown to be associated with the development of POD nor POCD. We found no associations between pre‐operative polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications and development of POD and POCD. Future studies should focus on the evaluation of drug interactions to determine whether patients benefit from a pre‐operative adjustment.

Polypharmacy, potentially inappropriate medication and pharmacogenomics drug exposure in the Rhineland Study

AIM

High medication use may contribute to the efficiency of drug therapy in general, but it could also increase the burden of adverse drug reactions. We aimed to assess medication use and the prevalence of three risk factors for adverse drug reactions: the use of polypharmacy, potentially inappropriate medication in the elderly and pharmacogenomic polymorphisms affecting the metabolism of drugs.

METHODS

Cross-sectional interview-based medication data (including over-the-counter drugs) was collected in a large population-based cohort (≥30 years of age) in Bonn, Germany.

RESULTS

Analyses were based on the first 5000 participants of the Rhineland Study (mean age 55 years, 57% women). Of our participants, 66.0% reported the use of a drug regularly, which increased to 87.4% in participants aged ≥65 years (n = 1301). The rates of use of polypharmacy, potentially inappropriate medication and pharmacogenomic drugs were 15.9%, 6.4% and 20.5%, respectively. In participants <65 years, 16.0% (95% CI 14.8, 17.3) had at least one risk factor. In participants aged ≥65 years, 54.1% (95% CI 51.4, 56.8) had at least one and 27.4% (95% CI 25.0, 29.9) had at least two risk factors. Extrapolating these numbers to the German population implies that around 9 million of the 17 million individuals aged 65 years or older are potentially at an elevated risk for adverse drug reactions, of which 4.6 million are at a potentially highly elevated risk for adverse drug reactions.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that drug use is common and the individual risk for an adverse drug reaction in our population is high. This suggests room for improvement in general medication use.

Potentially inappropriate medication in acute hospitalized elderly patients with polypharmacy: an observational study comparing PRISCUS, STOPP, and Beers criteria

PURPOSE

To compare the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) in the elderly according to the PRISCUS list, STOPP criteria, and Beers criteria. Secondary, to describe the differences using the three criteria focused on the inappropriate prescription of psychotropic drugs in the elderly.

METHODS

A retrospective study was performed at Severo Ochoa University Hospital. The study included 365 patients, aged 80 years and older, living in Madrid, Spain.

RESULTS

93.42% of patients received at least one PIM during hospitalization. Using the PRISCUS list, this changed from 32.6 to 2.7% at discharge. Applying STOPP criteria lowered the percentage from 65.20 to 10.95%, and with Beers criteria from 80.27 to 10.13. Lower Barthel index at admission was associated with an increased relative risk for receiving at least one PIM (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.15-2.80, p = 0.024) using PRISCUS list as a tool in conjunction with STOPP criteria (OR 1.44, 95% CI 0.89-2.33, p = 0.037). Polypharmacy at admission predicted the presence of PIMs with STOPP criteria (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.07-2.84, p = 0.001). Regarding psychotropic medicines, 208 patients (56.98%) received at least one psychotropic medicine during hospitalization. A total of 26.30% of patients were treated with psychotropic medicines, detected by the PRISCUS list, and 53.97% and 29.85% with STOPP and Beers, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Explicit criteria are a useful tool for identifying during hospitalization of the elderly patients. As indicated by the results, new research is needed to carry out an adaptation in our country that includes an evaluation of the strengths of the three tools to decrease PIMs and improve prescription in the elderly.

Potentially inappropriate medication in older psychiatric patients

PURPOSE

Many psychotropic drugs are listed as potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) in the older population. Potentially inappropriate means that prescription of those drugs in older adults may cause significant harm. The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence and sort of PIM prescribing in a naturalistic, real-world psychiatric setting.

METHODS

The retrospective analysis gathered data from a large pharmacovigilance study, conducted at 10 psychiatric hospitals. Data from inpatients aged ≥ 65 years were included for the analysis. The number and sort of PIM, as defined by the German PRISCUS list, were controlled by analyzing the patients' medication profile.

RESULTS

In total, 4760 patient cases (59.2% female) with a mean (mean ± standard deviation (SD)) age of 77.33 ± 7.77 years were included into the study. Altogether, 1615 cases (33.9%) received at least 1 PRISCUS-PIM per day (regular and as-needed medication included). The most frequently prescribed PRISCUS-PIM (n = 2144) were zopiclone > 3.75 mg/day (n = 310), lorazepam > 2 mg/day (n = 269), haloperidol > 2 mg/day (n = 252), and diazepam (n = 182). Cases with PRISCUS-PIM were younger (75.7 vs. 78.2 years, p < 0.001) and had a longer (26 vs. 22 days, p < 0.001) hospital length of stay. Replacing benzodiazepines and z-substances, haloperidol > 2 mg, tricyclic antidepressants, first generation antihistaminergic drugs, and clonidine by non-PIM could reduce 69.9% of PRISCUS-PIM-prescribing.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of PRISCUS-PIM is high in the hospitalized psychiatric setting. Rational deprescribing of inappropriate anticholinergics, benzodiazepines, and antipsychotics in the older population is a key component to reduce the risk of adverse drug reactions. More tolerable medications should be prescribed.

Potentially inappropriate medication and associated factors such as depression and dementia: An analysis of middle-aged and elderly people

AIMS: To establish the frequency potentially inappropriate medications use and the associated factors, such as signs and symptoms of depression and cognitive deficit among middle-aged and elderly people.METHODS: A cross-sectional population study was performed with 2,350 people, aged between 55-103 years, registered in the primary health care. Potentially inappropriate medications were defined by updated 2019 Beers criteria. Studied variables were sociodemographic, lifestyle and health, and signs and symptoms of depression and cognitive deficit. Multinomial regression analysis was executed.RESULTS: The frequency of potentially inappropriate medications use was 65.4%. Former and current smokers, regular self-perception of health, polypharmacy, and individuals with signs and symptoms of depression and cognitive deficit were significantly associated with potentially inappropriate medications use. Antiarrhythmics, antihistamines and antiadrenergic agents were the highest potentially inappropriate medications classes used for individuals with signs and symptoms of depression and cognitive deficit.CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of use of potentially inappropriate medications is high among middle-aged people, a population that was previously under-researched, as well as among elderly people. Cognitive impairment alone or together with depression symptoms were associated factor for a potentially inappropriate medications use. Knowledge of the pharmacoepidemiology of potentially inappropriate medications is an important for the promotion of the rational use of drugs in public health.

Reduction of potentially inappropriate medication in the elderly: design of a cluster-randomised controlled trial in German primary care practices (RIME)

Background:

Potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) is considered to have potentially more harmful than beneficial health effects in elderly patients. A German example for a PIM list is the PRISCUS list that has been available since 2010. PIMs are associated with an increased risk of hospitalisation and adverse health outcomes. Furthermore, drug–drug interactions (DDI) may pose additional risks to patients. It is not yet clear how numbers of PIM and DDI can be reduced in community-dwelling seniors in primary care; nor is it clear whether patients would benefit from such deprescribing.

Methods:

The cluster-randomised controlled study on the “Reduction of potentially Inappropriate Medication in the Elderly” (RIME study) is designed to examine whether an intervention based on the PRISCUS list can lower the proportion of community-dwelling people of ⩾70 years taking at least one PIM and/or medication inducing at least one dangerous DDI. The intervention consists of professional education and training on the reduction of PIM and DDI, and will be offered to either general practitioners (GPs) alone or GPs and their office staff in the experimental study arm. The control group will be offered professional education and training on more general issues of prescribing in the elderly, not specifically addressing PIM or DDI. The primary endpoint is the difference in the proportion of patients with at least one PIM or DDI between the start of the study and study closure after 12 months as compared between intervention and control group. Secondary endpoints include overall mortality, number of hospitalisations during the course of the study, quality of life and costs. Secondary analyses will be explorative, with the cluster randomisation being factored in.

Discussion:

The RIME study will contribute to answering the question of whether an intervention based on the PRISCUS list can reduce the proportion of community-dwelling seniors aged ⩾70 years with at least one PIM and/or DDI, and whether this will result in positive health effects, for example, as regards hospitalisations.

Trial registration

The Study has been registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) under the number DRKS00003610.

Potential drug-drug interactions in patients with indication for prophylactic implantation of a cardioverter defibrillator: a cross-sectional analysis

Background

Due to demographic transition, multimorbidity and high numbers of medicinal products, polypharmacy rates will presumably further increase. This could lead to higher risks of potentially inappropriate medications with potential drug-drug interactions (PDDI). PDDI has already been investigated by several studies, but not for patients with indication for prophylactic implantation of a cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Thus, the objective of this analysis was to examine the frequency of PDDI in that specific group of patients and compare patients with or without PDDI regarding potential underlying factors.

Methods

Cross-sectional data analyses were performed using data of the prospective EU-CERT-ICD study that primarily aimed to assess ICD effectiveness in Europe. Self-reported baseline medication data of patients from Germany and Switzerland were used. Patients who reported to take at least two drugs simultaneously for at least 80 days were defined as population at risk. By means of a publicly available interaction checker, we analyzed the medication data regarding occurrence and characteristics of PDDI categorized as minor, moderate, and major PDDI. The analyses were done using descriptive methods and chi square testing.

Results

The total population (n = 524) and the population at risk (n = 383) were rather similar with an average age of 64 years and about 80% male. PDDIs were found for 296 patients (in 57% of total population vs. 77% of population at risk). The moderate PDDI category was most frequently with 268 affected patients. Comparing patients with and without any PDDI, the proportion of patients with place of residence in Germany varied distinctly (93% vs. 78%). The frequency of any PDDI for the total population was twice as high in Germany as in Switzerland (p value < 0.001).

Conclusions

PDDIs were frequently observed in this selected patient population and differed markedly between German and Swiss patients. The results should lead to higher awareness of polypharmacy and PDDIs. Adequate cooperation between health care providers should be promoted and new technologies such as drug interaction information systems or digital patient files used.

Trial registration

The EU-CERT-ICD study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02064192).

Prevalence and risk factors of drug-related problems identified in pharmacy-based medication reviews

Background Medication safety is a major health concern, especially for older patients, in whom drug-related problems occur frequently as a consequence of polypharmacy and frailty, increasing the risk of adverse drug events. Objective To investigate the prevalence and types of drug-related problems in community pharmacies and to identify associated risk factors in order to adjust the focus of care. Setting 300 German community pharmacies in Saxony-Anhalt (Germany). Method In April 2015, community pharmacists conducted brown bag medication reviews for primary care patients, in which they identified and solved drug-related problems with patients or their physicians. Data from these reviews were analyzed, including frequency and nature of problems and their respective resolutions. Potentially inappropriate medications according to the PRISCUS list were identified by post hoc analysis. Risk factors for drug-related problems were determined using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Main outcome measure Prevalence and risk factors of drug-related problems. Results 1090 medication reviews were conducted. On average, patients were 72.0 ± 9.1 years old and had 10.6 ± 3.7 medications, 62.0% (n = 676) presented a medication plan. Knowledge gaps about medications were detected in almost a third of patients (n = 345). Drug-related problems were identified in 84.2% (n = 918) of patients (in 3836 medications). Frequent problems concerned drug–drug-interactions (53.7%, n = 585) as well as drug use and adherence (46.7%, n = 509). Most problems (72.2%, n = 2769) were resolved between pharmacist and patient. Knowledge gaps and the number of drugs were independently associated with a higher risk of drug-related problems. For older patients, potentially inappropriate medications were a risk factor in bivariate, but not in multivariate analysis. Conclusion Pharmacists identified and resolved considerable rates of drug-related problems, suggesting that they are capable and well-positioned to conduct medication reviews. Knowledge gaps, the number of drugs, patient age and, in older patients, potentially inappropriate medications may indicate an increased risk for drug-related problems.

Self-reported medication in community-dwelling older adults in Germany: results from the Berlin Initiative Study

Background

Older adults have the highest drug utilization due to multimorbidity. Although the number of people over age 70 is expected to double within the next decades, population-based data on their medication patterns are scarce especially in combination with polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication (PIM). Our objective was to analyse the frequency of polypharmacy, pattern of prescription (PD) and over-the-counter (OTC) drug usage, and PIMs according to age and gender in a population-based cohort of very old adults in Germany.

Methods

Cross-sectional baseline data of the Berlin Initiative Study, a prospective cohort study of community-dwelling adults aged ≥70 years with a standardized interview including demographics, lifestyle variables, co-morbidities, and medication assessment were analysed. Medication data were coded using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification. Age- and sex-standardized descriptive analysis of polypharmacy (≥5 drugs, PD and OTC vs. PD only and regular and on demand drugs vs regular only), medication frequency and distribution, including PIMs, was performed by age (</≥80) and gender.

Results

Of 2069 participants with an average age of 79.5 years, 97% (95%CI [96%;98%]) took at least one drug and on average 6.2 drugs (SD = 3.5) with about 40 to 66% fulfilling the criteria of polypharmacy depending on the definition. Regarding drug type more female participants took a combination of PD and OTC (male: 68%, 95%CI [65%;72%]); female: 78%, 95%CI [76%;80%]). Most frequently used were drugs for cardiovascular diseases (85%, 95%CI [83%;86%]). Medication frequency increased among participants aged ≥80 years, especially for cardiovascular drugs, antithrombotics, psychoanaleptics and dietary supplements. Among the top ten prescription drugs were mainly cardiovascular drugs including lipid-lowering agents (simvastatin), beta-blockers (metoprolol, bisoprolol) and ACE inhibitors (ramipril). The most common OTC drug was acetylsalicylic acid (35%; 95%CI [33%;37%])). Dose-independent PIM were identified for 15% of the participants.

Conclusions

Polypharmacy was excessive in older adults, with not only PD but also OTC drugs contributing to the high point prevalence. The medication patterns reflected the treatment of chronic diseases in this age group. There was even an increase in medication frequency between below and above 80 years especially for drugs of cardiovascular diseases, antithrombotic medication, psychoanaleptics, and dietary supplements.

Potentially inappropriate medication in older participants of the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II) - Sex differences and associations with morbidity and medication use

Introduction

Multimorbidity in advanced age and the need for drug treatment may lead to polypharmacy, while pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes may increase the risk of adverse drug events (ADEs).

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of subjects using potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) in a cohort of older and predominantly healthy adults in relation to polypharmacy and morbidity.

Methods

Cross-sectional data were available from 1,382 study participants (median age 69 years, IQR 67–71, 51.3% females) of the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II). PIM was classified according to the EU(7)-PIM and German PRISCUS (representing a subset of the former) list. Polypharmacy was defined as the concomitant use of at least five drugs. A morbidity index (MI) largely based on the Charlson Index was applied to evaluate the morbidity burden.

Results

Overall, 24.1% of the participants were affected by polypharmacy. On average, men used 2 (IQR 1–4) and women 3 drugs (IQR 1–5). According to PRISCUS and EU(7)-PIM, 5.9% and 22.6% of participants received at least one PIM, while use was significantly more prevalent in females (25.5%) compared to males (19.6%) considering EU(7)-PIM (p = 0.01). In addition, morbidity in males receiving PIM according to EU(7)-PIM was higher (median MI 1, IQR 1–3) compared to males without PIM use (median MI 1, IQR 0–2, p<0.001).

Conclusion

PIM use occurred more frequently in women than in men, while it was associated with higher morbidity in males. As expected, EU(7)-PIM identifies more subjects as PIM users than the PRISCUS list but further studies are needed to investigate the differential impact of both lists on ADEs and outcome.

Key points

We found PIM use to be associated with a higher number of regular medications and with increased morbidity. Additionally, we detected a higher prevalence of PIM use in females compared to males, suggesting that women and people needing intensive drug treatment are patient groups, who are particularly affected by PIM use.

[Potentially inappropriate medication in a German practice network-who prescribes what to whom?]

BACKGROUND

Potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) carries the risk of increased drug side effects for older people. The prevalence data are known but no descriptive analyses of prescription behavior as a starting point for reducing PIM have yet been conducted.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to analyze PIM prescription in the outpatient sector and to identify risk groups where increased awareness of the issue is needed.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The basis for the investigation was the data set of the AOK Bavaria health insurance, which contains anonymized prescription data of a practice network for patients aged 65 years and older from 2010 to 2014. The Priscus list was used to identify the PIM.

RESULTS

There were 410,934 prescriptions during the investigation period. The prevalence of PIM was 5.60%. Family doctors prescribed 5.39% PIM and specialists for neurology, psychiatry and psychotherapy (NPP) prescribed 16.36% PIM. Regardless of the medical discipline, PIM from the drug groups psycholeptics, psychoanaleptics and antihypertensive drugs were most frequently prescribed. For men and women PIM accounted for 4.50% and 6.31%, respectively, of the prescriptions during the period. In terms of age groups older women received PIM most frequently.

CONCLUSION

In the case of specialists for NPP a high prevalence of prescriptions for PIM could be established; however, in absolute terms family doctors prescribed significantly more PIM overall. This mainly affected women and especially those between 80 and 84 years old. In the future family doctors should be made more aware with respect to the prescription of psychopharmaceuticals and antihypertensive drugs to older women.

AgeWell.de - study protocol of a pragmatic multi-center cluster-randomized controlled prevention trial against cognitive decline in older primary care patients

BACKGROUND

In the absence of treatment options, the WHO emphasizes the identification of effective prevention strategies as a key element to counteract the dementia epidemic. Regarding the complex nature of dementia, trials simultaneously targeting multiple risk factors should be particularly effective for prevention. So far, however, only few such multi-component trials have been launched, but yielding promising results. In Germany, comparable initiatives are lacking, and translation of these complex interventions into routine care was not yet done. Therefore, AgeWell.de will be conducted as the first multi-component prevention trial in Germany which is closely linked to the primary care setting.

METHODS

AgeWell.de will be designed as a multi-centric, cluster-randomized controlled multi-component prevention trial. Participants will be older community-dwelling general practitioner (GP) patients (60-77 years; n = 1,152) with increased dementia risk according to CAIDE (Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia) Dementia Risk Score. Recruitment will take place at 5 study sites across Germany. GP practices will be randomized to either intervention A (advanced) or B (basic). GPs will be blinded to their respective group assignment, as will be the statistician conducting the randomization. The multi-component intervention (A) includes nutritional counseling, physical activity, cognitive training, optimization of medication, management of vascular risk factors, social activity, and, if necessary, further specific interventions targeting grief and depression. Intervention B includes general health advice on the intervention components and GP treatment as usual. We hypothesize that over the 2-year follow-up period the intervention group A will benefit significantly from the intervention program in terms of preserved cognitive function/delayed cognitive decline (primary outcome), and other relevant (secondary) outcomes (e.g. quality of life, social activities, depressive symptomatology, cost-effectiveness).

DISCUSSION

AgeWell.de will be the first multi-component trial targeting risk of cognitive decline in older adults in Germany. Compared to previous trials, AgeWell.de covers an even broader set of interventions suggested to be beneficial for the intended outcomes. The findings will add substantial knowledge on modifiable lifestyle factors to prevent or delay cognitive decline.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German Clinical Trials Register (reference number: DRKS00013555 ).

Patient-reported factors associated with the desire to continue taking sleep-inducing drugs after hospital discharge: A survey of older adults

Purpose

To find out whether any prior experiences with sleep‐inducing drugs before hospitalization and positive experiences with these drugs during hospitalization influence a patient's wish to continue taking sleep‐inducing drugs after hospitalization.

Methods

We surveyed older hospital patients about use of sleep‐inducing drugs before, during, and after hospitalization and compared these answers with their hospital chart using the kappa statistic. The association between the wish to continue these drugs after discharge and the perceived benefits, experience of side effects, and prior experience with sleep‐inducing drugs was determined by multivariable logistic regression.

Results

Agreement between patient responses and the hospital file was high (κ = 0.7). Seventeen percent (83/483) of the participants reported prior experience before their hospital stay; 45% received a sleep‐inducing drug during hospitalization; 17% wished to continue taking them after discharge. Of the 400 patients who had no prior experience with sleep‐inducing drugs, 147 (37%) became first‐time users in the hospital, and 27% (40/147) of these wished to continue this medication after discharged. Strong predictors for this wish were the reduction of sleep onset problems (adjusted odds ratio, 6.26; 95% confidence interval, 2.38‐16.44) and any prior experience with sleep‐inducing drugs (4.08; 1.97‐8.48).

Conclusions

Many older patients become first‐time users of sleep‐inducing drugs in the hospital. Especially the experience of sleep onset improvements influences the wish to continue sleep‐inducing drug use after discharge. Avoiding first‐time use should become a goal of hospital policy and be taken into account when weighing the benefits and risks of sleep‐inducing drugs.

[Which factors are associated with the use of potentially inadequate medications (PIM) in the elderly? : Results from the German health interview and examination survey (DEGS1)]

BACKGROUND

Recent studies demonstrate a relationship between the prescription of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) for patients 65 years or older and an increased risk for adverse events, in particular hospitalisations. The RKI conducted DEGS1-Survey ("German health interview and examination survey for adults") provides a representative sample of the target population to identify determinants for PIM use.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine characteristics of older persons in Germany, who currently use PIM, and if there are subpopulations among older persons with a particularly high PIM use.

METHODS

Within the DEGS1-Survey a total of 175 variables regarding health and social aspects were documented from 1392 community-dwelling persons between 65 and 79 years of age, and medication intake during the last seven days was recorded. PIM drugs were identified according to the PRISCUS list. Associations between PIM use and variables recorded were evaluated by means of multivariate statistical models.

RESULTS

Within seven days before the survey PIM drugs were used by 13.0% (95%-CI: 10.7-15.6) of the respondents. The following factors significantly increase the risk for receiving a PIM: number of drugs taken in the last seven days; number of visits to different physician specialists during the last 12 months; sleep disorders; psychiatric condition, and diseases affecting the musculoskeletal system. The majority of PIMs were antidepressants and anxiolytics/sedatives. Elderly women with depression, sleep disorders, and a need for analgesics are particularly affected by increased PIM use. They deserve special attention in this regard.

Influence of pharmacist intervention on drug safety of geriatric inpatients: a prospective, controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Demographic shift leads to an increasing number of geriatric patients suffering from multimorbidity and resulting polypharmacy. Polypharmacy is shown to be associated with drug-related problems (DRPs) and increased morbidity. For Germany, a hospital-based intervention may be successful optimizing of polypharmacy. The aim of this study was to reduce DRPs in geriatric inpatients by a structured pharmacist's intervention and to measure the acceptance rate of pharmaceutical recommendations.

METHODS

This study followed an open, prospective, quasi-randomized, controlled design and was conducted in a geriatric department in a teaching hospital in Germany. Patients of all sexes were included, with a minimum age of 70 years, a written informed consent and a regular intake of at least five drugs daily. Primary outcome was the percentage of patients having a DRP at admission and discharge. A DRP was defined as a prescription without indication or a relevant drug-drug interaction or prescription of a potentially inappropriate medication or presence of an adverse drug reaction. Recommendations were classified and discussed face to face. Statistical analyses were performed using a full-set analysis and a matched-pairs design.

RESULTS

Within 12 months, 411 patients were recruited with median age of 82 years (intervention: n = 209; control: n = 202). Median number of drugs at admission was 10 (range 5-24), at discharge 9 (range 3-21). In the intervention group, the percentage of patients with a DRP was reduced from 86.6% to 56.0%; in the control group, from 76.7% to 76.2% (p value < 0.001). Medication appropriateness index score was reduced by 56% in the intervention group and by 0.2% in the control group (p value < 0.001). Implementation rate of the pharmaceutical recommendation was 80%.

CONCLUSION

This prospective controlled trial showed that a pharmacist's intervention was successful in optimizing polypharmacy in geriatric inpatients.

The associations of geriatric syndromes and other patient characteristics with the current and future use of potentially inappropriate medications in a large cohort study

PURPOSE

To assess the changes in use of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) as defined by the 2015 Beers criteria, the EU(7)-PIM, and the PRISCUS list over a 6-year period and to identify determinants for current and future PIM use with a particular focus on geriatric syndromes.

METHODS

In a German cohort of 2878 community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 60 years, determinants of the use of ≥ 1 PIM were identified in multivariable logistic regression (cross-sectional analysis) and weighted generalized estimating equation models (longitudinal analysis).

RESULTS

Prevalences for Beers, EU(7), and PRISCUS PIM were 26.4, 37.4, and 13.7% at baseline and decreased to 23.1, 36.5, and 12.3%, respectively, 6 years later. Unadjusted prevalences in participants with any geriatric syndrome (frailty, co-morbidity, functional, or cognitive impairment) were approximately twice as high as in robust older adults. In multivariable analyses, cognitive impairment was statistically significantly associated with the use of PIM of all three criteria in the cross-sectional (odds ratio (OR) point estimates 1.90-2.21) but not in the longitudinal models. In contrast, frailty, co-morbidity, and functional impairment were statistically significantly associated with the use of PIM of at least one of the three criteria in both models. However, the associations varied for the PIM criteria, and in the longitudinal analysis, associations were only statistically significant for Beers PIM (ORs [95% confidence intervals]: frailty (2.23 [1.15, 4.31]), co-morbidity by five total co-morbidity score points (1.21 [1.05, 1.38]), and functional impairment (1.51 [1.00, 2.27]). Other statistically significant determinants of the incidence of PIM (any definition) were female sex, age, coronary heart disease, heart failure, biomarkers of the metabolic syndrome, and history of ulcer, depressive episodes, hip fracture, or any cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Older adults with frailty, co-morbidity, cognitive, and functional impairment had higher odds of taking PIM or getting a PIM prescription in the future (exception: cognitive impairment). Physicians should be especially cautious when prescribing drugs for these patients who are particularly susceptible to adverse reactions.

Optimization of Antidepressant use with Pharmacogenetic Strategies

BACKGROUND

The response rate in the pharmacological treatment of depression has been estimated to be around 50%, achieving a remission in symptomatology in only one third of the patients. Suboptimal prescription of antidepressants has been proposed as a significant explanatory factor for this therapeutic inefficacy. The use of pharmacogenetic testing might favor the optimization of pharmacotherapy in emotional disorders. However, its implementation in the clinical routine requires studies which prove its efficacy.

OBJECTIVE

The aim is to explore the clinical effects obtained by means of the personalization of antidepressant treatment derived from the pharmacogenetic profile of the individual.

METHOD

A sample of 291 patients under antidepressant treatment was selected, and these patients were genotyped for the most common polymorphisms of the CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and CYP3A4/5 genes using RT-PCR and TaqMan® technology. 30 of them were subjected to psycho-affective assessment using the HDRS scale before and after a process of individualization of their psychopharmacological treatment in accordance with the genotype obtained.

RESULTS

70% of the individuals treated using the traditional criterion of trial-and-error were not taking the active ingredient most suited to their pharmacogenetic profile. The inclusion of this genetic information in the choice of drug and its dosage entailed a significant, progressive reduction in depressive symptomatology, with an efficacy ratio of 80% and a remission of the pathology in almost 30% of the cases.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that the prescription of pharmacogenetic profile-based strategies has a positive effect on the therapeutic response to antidepressants.

Optimization of Antidepressant use with Pharmacogenetic Strategies

Background:

The response rate in the pharmacological treatment of depression has been estimated to be around 50%, achieving a remission in symptomatology in only one third of the patients. Suboptimal prescription of antidepressants has been proposed as a significant explanatory factor for this therapeutic inefficacy. The use of pharmacogenetic testing might favor the optimization of pharmacotherapy in emotional disorders. However, its implementation in the clinical routine requires studies which prove its efficacy.

Objective:

The aim is to explore the clinical effects obtained by means of the personalization of antidepressant treatment derived from the pharmacogenetic profile of the individual.

Method:

A sample of 291 patients under antidepressant treatment was selected, and these patients were genotyped for the most common polymorphisms of the CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and CYP3A4/5 genes using RT-PCR and TaqMan® technology. 30 of them were subjected to psycho-affective assessment using the HDRS scale before and after a process of individualization of their psychopharmacological treatment in accordance with the genotype obtained.

Results:

70% of the individuals treated using the traditional criterion of trial-and-error were not taking the active ingredient most suited to their pharmacogenetic profile. The inclusion of this genetic information in the choice of drug and its dosage entailed a significant, progressive reduction in depressive symptomatology, with an efficacy ratio of 80% and a remission of the pathology in almost 30% of the cases.

Conclusion:

These results suggest that the prescription of pharmacogenetic profile-based strategies has a positive effect on the therapeutic response to antidepressants.

Patients Aged 80 Years or Older are Encountered More Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use

Background:

Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) are prominent prescribing issues in elderly patients. This study was to investigate the different prevalence of PIM use in elderly inpatients between 65–79 years of age and 80 years or older, who were discharged from Geriatric Department in West China Hospital.

Methods:

A large-scale cohort of 1796 inpatients aged 65 years or over was recruited. Respectively, 618 patients were 65–79 years and 1178 patients were 80 years or older. Updated 2012 Beers Criteria by the American Geriatric Society was applied to assess the use of PIM among the investigated samples.

Results:

A review of the prescribed medications identified 686 patients aged 80 years or older consumed at least one PIM giving a rate of 58.2%. Conversely, 268 (43.4%) patients aged 65–79 years consumed at least one PIM (χ² = 40.18, P < 0.001). Patients aged 80 years or older had higher hospitalization expenses, length of stay, co-morbidities, medical prescription, and mortality than patients aged 65–79 years (all with P < 0.001). Patients aged 80 years or older were prescribed with more benzodiazepines, drugs with strong anticholinergic properties, megestrol, antipsychotics, theophylline, and aspirin. In multiple regression analysis, PIM use was significantly associated with female gender, age, number of diagnostic disease, and number of prescribed medication.

Conclusions:

The finding from this study revealed that inpatients aged 80 years or older encountered more PIM use than those aged 65–79 years. Anticholinergic properties, megestrol, antipsychotics, theophylline, and aspirin are medications that often prescribed to inpatients aged 80 years or older. Doctors should carefully choose drugs for the elderly, especially the elderly aged 80 years or older.

Potentially Inappropriate Medication in Community-Dwelling Primary Care Patients who were Screened Positive for Dementia

BACKGROUND

Potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) in older people is a risk factor for adverse drug effects. This risk is even higher in older people with dementia (PWD).

OBJECTIVE

Our study aimed to determine (1) the prevalence of PIM among primary care patients who were screened positive for dementia and (2) the sociodemographic and clinical variables associated with the use of PIM.

METHODS

DelpHi-MV (Dementia: life- and person-centered help in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) is a general practitioner-based, cluster-randomized, controlled intervention study to implement and evaluate an innovative concept of collaborative dementia care management in Germany. The comprehensive baseline assessment includes a home medication review. The present analyses are based on the data from 448 study participants (age 70+, DemTect <9). PIMs were identified using the list of Potentially Inappropriate Medications in the Elderly (Priscus).

RESULTS

(1) A total of 99 study participants (22%) received at least one PIM. The highest prevalence was found for antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and analgetics. The most frequently prescribed PIMs were amitriptyline, etoricoxib, and doxazosin. (2) Use of a PIM was significantly associated with a diagnosis of a mental or behavioral disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

The prescription rate of PIMs for community-dwelling PWD was comparable with the rates found for the general population of older people in Germany (20-29%). Antidepressants with anticholinergic properties and long-acting benzodiazepines were the most prescribed PIMs, despite having an unfavorable benefit-risk ratio. This high prevalence of PIM prescriptions in a vulnerable population of PWD indicates that standard care for dementia should include careful medication review and management.

Understanding and reducing the prescription of hypnotics and sedatives at the interface of hospital care and general practice: a protocol for a mixed-methods study

INTRODUCTION

Hypnotics and sedatives, especially benzodiazepines and Z-drugs, are frequently prescribed for longer periods than recommended-in spite of potential risks for patients. Any intervention to improve this situation has to take into account the interplay between different actors, interests and needs. The ultimate goal of this study is to develop-together with the professionals involved-ideas for reducing the use of hypnotics and sedatives and then to implement and evaluate adequate interventions in the hospital and at the primary and secondary care interface.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The study will take place in a regional hospital in northern Germany and in some general practices in this region. We will collect data from doctors, nurses, patients and a major social health insurer to define the problem from multiple perspectives. These data will be explored and discussed with relevant stakeholders to develop interventions. The interventions will be implemented and, in a final step, evaluated. Both quantitative and qualitative data, including surveys, interviews, chart reviews and secondary analysis of social health insurance data, will be collected to obtain a full understanding of the frequency and the reasons for using hypnotics and sedatives.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Approval has been granted from the ethics review committee of the University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany. Results will be disseminated to researchers, clinicians and policy makers in peer-reviewed journal articles and conference publications. One or more dissemination events will be held locally during continuous professional development events for local professionals, including (but not confined to) the study participants.

Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Multimorbid Elderly Inpatients: Differences Between the FORTA, PRISCUS and STOPP Ratings

Background

Several classifications to identify and avoid use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in the elderly have been published. To what extent these classifications match each other and whether there are differences in the prevalence of PIM use at admission, during the inpatient stay and at discharge are largely unreported.

Objectives

To determine the PIM prevalence in elderly patients at a university hospital, with a special focus on different classification systems and the chronological sequence, and to examine a possible association between PIM use and the reason for admission, as well as severe side effects and consequences of PIM use during hospitalization.

Methods

On the basis of the criteria provided by FORTA (Fit for the Aged), PRISCUS (Latin for ‘time-honoured’) and STOPP (Screening Tool of Older Persons’ Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions), medication in patients over the age of 65 years was screened retrospectively within four point prevalence analyses at admission, during the inpatient stay and at discharge. Evaluation of a possible association between PIM use and the primary diagnosis or severe side effects during hospitalization was performed according to an analysis using the World Health Organization Uppsala Monitoring Centre system for standardized case causality assessment.

Results

Of 200 patients, 176 (88 %) received at least one PIM at admission, during the inpatient stay and/or at discharge (116 patients according to FORTA, 113 according to PRISCUS and 138 according to STOPP). When the PIM prevalence was compared between the three different sets of criteria, STOPP identified significantly more patients receiving PIMs than FORTA (P = 0.022) and PRISCUS (P = 0.010). At the patient level and at the drug level, the use of PIMs increased during the inpatient stay; however, the PIM prevalence was similar at admission and at discharge, both at the patient level and at the drug level.

Conclusion

Medication is rated significantly differently by FORTA, PRISCUS and STOPP. In addition, a significant rise in prescribing of PIMs during the inpatient stay illustrates that a reduction in PIM use during the inpatient stay is essential, as it is known that avoiding PIM use in older adults is one strategy to decrease the risk of adverse events.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s40801-016-0085-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Why do family doctors prescribe potentially inappropriate medication to elderly patients?

Background

Based on changes in pharmacokinetics and –dynamics in elderly patients, there are potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) that should be avoided in patients aged ≥ 65 years. Current studies showed prescription rates of PIM between 22.5 and 28.4 % in the primary care setting. The evidence concerning reasons for PIM prescription by FPs is limited.

Methods

This mixed method study consisted of three research parts: 1) semi-standardized content analysis of patients’ records, 2) qualitative interviews with FPs using a) open questions and b) selected patient-specific case vignettes and 3) qualitative interviews with FPs’ medical assistants. The integration of qualitative interviews was used to explain the quantitative results (triangulation design). PIM were identified according to the German PRISCUS list. Descriptive and multivariate statistical analysis was done using SPSS 22.0. Qualitative content analysis of interviews was used to classify the content of the interviews for indicating pertinent categories. All data were pseudonymously recorded and analyzed.

Results

Content analysis of 1846 patients’ records and interviews with 7 related FPs were conducted. Elderly patients [n = 1241, mean age: 76, females: 56.6 %] were characterized in average by 8.3 documented chronic diagnosis. 23.9 % of elderly patients received at least one PIM prescription. Sedatives/hypnotics were the most frequent prescribed PIM-drugs (13.7 %). Mental disorders, gender and number of long-term medication were detected as predictors for the probability of a PIM prescription. Common reported reasons for PIM prescription by FPs concerned limited knowledge regarding PIM, limited applicability of PIM lists in daily practice, lack of time, having no alternatives in medication, stronger patient-related factors than age that influence prescription, own bad experiences regarding changes of medication or refusal of following prescriptions of sedative/hypnotics.

Conclusions

It is essential to see FPs in a complex decision making situation with several influencing factors on their prescribing, including: patient-oriented prioritization, FPs’ experiences in daily practice, FPs’ knowledge regarding existing recommendations and their trust in it and organizational characteristics of FPs’ daily medical practice. These pros and cons of PIM prescription in elderly patients should be considered in FPs’ advanced training.

Primary Care Medication Safety Surveillance with Integrated Primary and Secondary Care Electronic Health Records: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction

The extent of preventable medication-related hospital admissions and medication-related issues in primary care is significant enough to justify developing decision support systems for medication safety surveillance. The prerequisite for such systems is defining a relevant set of medication safety-related indicators and understanding the influence of both patient and general practice characteristics on medication prescribing and monitoring.

Objective

The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility of linked primary and secondary care electronic health record data for surveillance of medication safety, examining not only prescribing but also monitoring, and associations with patient- and general practice-level characteristics.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted using linked records of patients served by one hospital and over 50 general practices in Salford, UK. Statistical analysis consisted of mixed-effects logistic models, relating prescribing safety indicators to potential determinants.

Results

The overall prevalence (proportion of patients with at least one medication safety hazard) was 5.45 % for prescribing indicators and 7.65 % for monitoring indicators. Older patients and those on multiple medications were at higher risk of prescribing hazards, but at lower risk of missed monitoring. The odds of missed monitoring among all patients were 25 % less for males, 50 % less for patients in practices that provide general practitioner training, and threefold higher in practices serving the most deprived compared with the least deprived areas. Practices with more prescribing hazards did not tend to show more monitoring issues.

Conclusions

Systematic collection, collation, and analysis of linked primary and secondary care records produce plausible and useful information about medication safety for a health system. Medication safety surveillance systems should pay close attention to patient age and polypharmacy with respect to both prescribing and monitoring failures; treat prescribing and monitoring as different statistical processes, rather than a combined measure of prescribing safety; and audit the socio-economic equity of missed monitoring.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s40264-015-0304-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Potentially inappropriate medication in the elderly in Germany: an economic appraisal of the PRISCUS list

BACKGROUND

Several lists of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) for elderly patients have been developed worldwide in recent years. Those lists intend to reduce prescriptions of drugs that carry an unnecessarily high risk of adverse drug events in elderly patients. In 2010, an expert panel published the PRISCUS list for the German drug market. This study calculates the amount of drug reimbursement for PIM in Germany and potential cost effects from the perspective of statutory health insurance when these are replaced by the substitutes recommended by the PRISCUS list.

METHODS

Register-based data for the 30 top-selling drugs on the PRISCUS list in 2009 for patients greater than or equal to 65 years of age were provided by the Scientific Institute of the German Local Health Care Fund. We calculated the percentage of sales and defined daily doses for patients greater than or equal to 65 years of age compared with the total statutory health insurance population. Reimbursement costs for the recommended substitutions were estimated by considering different scenarios.

RESULTS

In 2009, drug reimbursement for the 30 top-selling PIM prescribed to patients greater than or equal to 65 years of age were calculated to be €305.7 million. Prescribing the recommended substitution medication instead of PIM would lead to an increased total reimbursement cost for the German health care system ranging between from €325.9 million to €810.0 million.

CONCLUSIONS

The results show that the substitution of PIM by medication deemed to be more appropriate for the elderly comes along with additional costs. Consequently, there is no short-term incentive for doing so from a payer perspective. Future studies have to consider the long-term effects and other sectors.

National indicators for quality of drug therapy in older persons: the Swedish experience from the first 10 years

Inappropriate drug use is an important health problem in elderly persons. Beginning with the Beers’ criteria in the early 1990s, explicit criteria have been extensively used to measure and improve quality of drug use in older people. This article describes the Swedish indicators for quality of drug therapy in the elderly, introduced in 2004 and updated in 2010. These indicators were designed to be applied to people aged 75 years and over, regardless of residence and other characteristics. The indicators are divided into drug specific, covering choice, indication and dosage of drugs, polypharmacy, drug–drug interactions (DDIs), drug use in decreased renal function and in some symptoms; and diagnosis specific, covering the rational, irrational and hazardous drug use in common disorders in elderly people. During the 10 years since introduction, the Swedish indicators have several applications. They form the basis for recommendations for drug therapy in older people, are implemented in prescribing supports and drug utilisation reviews, are used in national benchmarking of the quality of Swedish healthcare and have contributed to initiatives from pensioner organisations. The indicators have also been used in several pharmacoepidemiological studies. Since 2005, there have been signs of improvement of the quality of drug prescribing to elderly persons in Sweden. For example, the prescribing of drugs that should be avoided in older persons decreased by 36 % between 2006 and 2012 in persons aged 80 years and older. Similarly, drug combinations that may cause DDIs decreased by 26 % and antipsychotics by 41 %. The indicators have likely contributed to this.

Association between Potentially Inappropriate Medication (PIM) Use and Risk of Hospitalization in Older Adults: An Observational Study Based on Routine Data Comparing PIM Use with Use of PIM Alternatives

OBJECTIVE

The safety of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in elderly patients is still debated. Using the PRISCUS list, we examined the incident all-cause hospitalization risk associated with PIMs compared to PIM alternatives during the 180 days post individual first pharmacy dispensing (index date).

METHODS

Routine claims data from a German health insurer on 392,337 ambulatory patients aged ≥65 years, were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for hospitalization associated with incident PIM use. Observation period was January 2009 -December 2010. Users of PIM alternatives, as defined by the PRISCUS list, were the reference group. Patients with PIM dispensing or hospital stay in a six month "washout" period (second half of 2008) were excluded. All potential confounders were determined in the half year before the individual index date.

RESULTS

In the total cohort 60.7% were female. Median age was 73 years. Of 79,041 incident PIM users, 58.4% had PIMs dispensed in one quarter of 2009 or 2010, 19.3% in two quarters, and 22.3% in three or more quarters. There were 126,535 hospitalizations during the observation period, and 47,470 of them occurred within 180 days post first dispensing. Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed PIM use as a significant risk factor for hospitalization (HR 1.378; 95% CI 1.349-1.407) compared to use of PIM alternatives.

CONCLUSIONS

PIM use compared to use of PIM alternatives is associated with an increased risk of all-cause hospitalization in the 180 days following individual index date. Future analyses comparing a single PIM with its corresponding alternative may help identify those PIMs responsible for this.

Application of three different sets of explicit criteria for assessing inappropriate prescribing in older patients: a nationwide prevalence study of ambulatory care visits in Taiwan

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the national prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) prescribed in ambulatory care clinics in Taiwan according to three different sets of regional criteria and the correlates of PIM use.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

This analysis included older patients who visited ambulatory care clinics in 2009 and represented half of the older population included on the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database.

PARTICIPANTS

We identified 1,164,701 subjects who visited ambulatory care clinics and were over 65 years old in 2009.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

PIM prevalence according to the 2012 Beers criteria, the PIM-Taiwan criteria and the PRISCUS criteria was estimated separately, and characteristics of PIM users were explored. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine patient factors associated with the use of at least one PIM. Leading PIMs for each set of criteria were also listed.

RESULTS

The prevalence of having at least one PIM at the patient level was highest with the Beers criteria (86.2%), followed by the PIM-Taiwan criteria (73.3%) and the PRISCUS criteria (66.9%). Polypharmacy and younger age were associated with PIM use for all three sets of criteria. The leading PIMs detected by the PIM-Taiwan and PRISCUS criteria were all included in the 2012 Beers criteria. Non-COX-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the Beers criteria and benzodiazepines in the PIM-Taiwan and PRISCUS criteria accounted for most leading PIMs.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of PIMs was high among older Taiwanese patients receiving ambulatory care visits. The prevalence of PIM and its associated factors varied according to three sets of criteria at the population level.

Pharmacotherapy in the ageing patient: The impact of age per se (A review)

A literature search was carried out to review the influence of 'ageing' on pharmacotherapeutic decision-making, specifically how 'age' is defined and considered in the utilisation of medication. Embase, Medline, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and Google scholar were canvassed in a three-tiered search according to pre-established inclusion criteria. In tier 1, a total of 22 studies were identified highlighting the underutilisation of medication in elderly patients, with a particular focus on warfarin. Four studies highlighted an age-bias in medication-prescribing for elderly patients, specifically in relation to medicines for rheumatoid arthritis, angina, and hypertension. Tier 2 identified diverse definitions for 'elderly', including biological age, chronological age, physiological age, as well as various descriptions of 'elderly' in clinical trials and guidelines. Finally, medication optimisation tools were identified through the third tier, emphasising the use of chronological age to describe the 'elderly'. Old age influences pharmacotherapeutic decision-making at various levels, however, what complicates the situation is the absence of a comprehensive definition of 'elderly'. Clinical recommendations need to be based more on objective factors known to affect medication effectiveness and safety.

Potentially inappropriate prescribing in community-dwelling older people across Europe: a systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) is one of the main risk factors for adverse drug events (ADEs) in older people.

PURPOSE

This systematic literature review aims to determine prevalence and type of PIP in community-dwelling older people across Europe, as well as identifying risk factors for PIP.

METHODS

The PubMed and Web of Science database were searched systematically for relevant manuscripts (January 1, 2000-December 31, 2014). Manuscripts were included if the study design was observational, the study participants were community-dwelling older patients in Europe, and if a published screening method for PIP was used. Studies that focused on specific pathologies or that focused on merely one inappropriate prescribing issue were excluded. Data analysis was performed using R statistics.

RESULTS

Fifty-two manuscripts were included, describing 82 different sample screenings with an estimated overall PIP prevalence of 22.6 % (CI 19.2-26.7 %; range 0.0-98.0 %). Ten of the sample screenings were based on the Beers 1997 criteria, 19 on the Beers 2003 criteria, 14 on STOPP criteria (2008 version), 8 on START-criteria (2008 version), and 7 on the PRISCUS list. The 24 remaining sample screenings were carried out using compilations of screening methods or used country-specific lists such as the Laroche criteria. It appears that only PIP prevalence calculated from insurance data significantly differs from the other data collection method categories. Furthermore, risk factors most often positively associated with PIP prevalence were polypharmacy, poor functional status, and depression. Drug groups most often involved in PIP were anxiolytics (ATC-code: N05B), antidepressants (N06A), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic products (M01A).

CONCLUSION

PIP prevalence in European community-dwelling older adults is high and depends partially on the data collection method used. Polypharmacy, poor functional status, and depression were identified as the most common risk factors for PIP.