Use of the Beers criteria to predict adverse drug reactions among first-visit elderly outpatients

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the Beers criteria can predict adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in first-visit elderly outpatients. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Outpatient clinics of a tertiary care and academic medical center in southern Taiwan. PATIENTS: Eight hundred eighty-two patients aged 65 years or older who were prescribed drugs at their first visit to either the medical center's outpatient internal medicine clinic or family medicine clinic between March 1, 2001, and July 31, 2001. INTERVENTION: Telephone survey conducted 1 week after clinic visit. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Potentially inappropriate drugs were assessed by the updated Beers criteria. Adverse drug reactions were detected by telephone survey and evaluated by the Naranjo criteria 1 week after drug administration. Of the 550 respondents, 64 (11.6%) had potentially inappropriate drugs prescribed and 126 (22.9%) had ADRs. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed associations between ADRs and potentially inappropriate drug prescribing (relative risk [RR] 15.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.0-58.8), number of prescribed drugs (RR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.5), history of ADRs (RR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3-3.4), and noncompliance with prescribed drugs (RR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.7). In patients who had potentially inappropriate drugs prescribed, the number of prescribed drugs was not significantly associated with ADRs (RR 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-1.1). In patients who did not have potentially inappropriate drugs prescribed, more prescribed drugs increased the risk of ADRs (RR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.5). CONCLUSION: A positive association exists between potentially inappropriate drug prescribing, as defined by the Beers criteria, and ADRs in first-visit elderly outpatients. Clinicians should be alert to the possibility of ADRs if a patient takes more than five drugs, has a history of ADRs, or exhibits poor compliance with prescribed drugs.     

Beers标准和STOPP/START标准再评价老年住院患者医嘱点评情况

目的：探讨Beers标准、STOPP/START标准两种方法在对我院老年住院患者医嘱点评进行再评价中筛查出的潜在不适当用药情况,为老年患者合理用药提供参考。方法：选取2013年3月~2015年2月医嘱点评的549份老年患者病历,分别以Beers标准、STOPP/START标准为依据,判断老年患者潜在不适当用药情况。结果：549份老年住院患者平均年龄为（77±7）岁,平均用药品种数（15±7）种。依照Beers标准,99例（18%）存在潜在不适当用药现象共104项;依照STOPP/START标准,104例（19%）存在潜在不适当用药现象共111项;155例（29%）存在处方遗漏现象共232项。结论：以Beers标准和STOPP/START标准可以筛查出大量老年住院患者潜在不适当用药情况,且两种标准筛查出的潜在不适当用药情况重复内容很少,可以形成互补对临床处方考量,促进老年人合理用药。     

Perception of potentially inappropriate medication in elderly patients by Slovak physicians

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to determine the risk perception of potentially inappropriate drug treatment of elderly patients by Slovak physicians. In Slovakia, a list of such drugs is not available. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 600 patients aged > or =65 years hospitalized at the Department of Internal Medicine in a Slovak general hospital between 1 December 2003 and 31 March 2005. The use of potentially inappropriate drugs at the time of hospital admission and discharge was compared. Potentially inappropriate drug use was defined by Beers 2003 criteria. In addition, 206 physicians were asked to mark the drugs that they considered potentially inappropriate for elderly patients out of a list provided in a questionnaire analysis. RESULTS: Out of 600 patients 20.2% and 20% were treated with at least one potentially inappropriate drug at the time of hospital admission and discharge, respectively. Hospitalization had no significant influence on the number of potentially inappropriate medicines used. The most frequently prescribed potentially inappropriate drugs were digoxin >0.125 mg/day and ticlopidine. Out of 206 responding physicians only 4.9% considered ticlopidine as potentially inappropriate for elderly patient. On the other hand, more than 20% of respondents were aware of the potential inappropriateness of amitriptyline, diazepam and chlordiazepoxide. Mentioned drugs were observed in less than 2% of study population (n = 600). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the questionnaire analysis in physicians as well as the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication demonstrate that Slovak clinicians are aware of the risk of certain treatments in elderly patients.     

依据Beers标准评价老年患者不合理用药

目的：关注老年患者用药安全,促进合理用药。方法：以Beers（2012年版）标准为主要依据。对我院3012位老年患者进行潜在性不合理用药（PIM）评价分析。结果：根据Beers标准判断,共有162例（5.4%）至少发生了一种PIM,其中129例（4.6%）使用了老年人应避免使用的药物,46例（1.5%）使用了老年人应慎用的药物,13例存在两种PIM情况。354例（11.8%）发生了Beers标准未包括的PIM。尚未发现与诊断或疾病状态相关的潜在性不适当用药。结论：Beers标准是专业判断的重要补充,门诊老年患者潜在不当用药需要综合评价标准。     

Drug utilization and potentially inappropriate drug use in elderly residents of a community in Istanbul, Turkey

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates drug utilization and estimates the prevalence of potentially inappropriate drug use in a Turkish population aged 70 years or older. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out on a total of 1019 participants who accepted face-to-face questionnaires in home interviews in Istanbul. All medications used in the three weeks prior to the study were recorded. Some major risk factors that might influence the use of inappropriate medication such as socio-demographic characteristics and concomitant disease such as depression and dementia were also questioned. Inappropriate drug use was assessed using the Beers criteria. RESULTS: Among the 1019 participants, 903 (88.6%) had been using at least one medication during the last three weeks. The average number of medications used was 2.9 +/- 2.0. The most frequently drugs used were cardiovascular drugs (39.9%), followed by analgesics/anti-inflammatory drugs (16.2%), vitamin/mineral preparations (10.6%) and central nervous system drugs (10.2%). Of the 1,019 participants, 9.8% were using one potentially inappropriate medication and one patient was using two inappropriate drugs. The most common of these drugs were reserpine (23.7%), dipyridamole (21.8%), antihistamines (14.8%), and benzodiazepines (10.9%). Only age and total number of medications were associated with potentially inappropriate drugs in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that drug utilization and the prevalence of inappropriate medication use in the elderly were lower than in published reports from most developed countries. Furthermore, polypharmacy and higher age were the main risk factors for potentially inappropriate drug use in the elderly.     

天津医科大学总医院半年内老年患者潜在不适当用药及影响因素分析

目的 调查天津医科大学总医院老年住院患者潜在不适当用药情况,并对其影响因素进行分析。方法 以Beers标准（2015年版）为依据,对该院2017年1月~6月收治年龄≥ 65岁的1 800例老年住院患者的潜在不适当用药进行评价,利用χ²检验和多因素Logistic回归分析确定其影响因素。结果 依据Beers标准,614例（34.11%）老年患者存在潜在不适当用药955例次;罹患疾病数和联合用药数可促使潜在不适当用药的发生。结论 Beers标准是评估老年患者潜在用药风险的重要依据,临床治疗中应对造成不适当用药的相关影响因素进行适当控制,以促进合理用药,确保用药安全。     

Impact of hospitalisation in an acute medical geriatric unit on potentially inappropriate medication use

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Potentially inappropriate medication use is a major safety issue in the elderly and may cause a substantial proportion of drug-related hospital admissions. Hospitalisation could result in a change in the quantity and type of drugs, but its effect on potentially inappropriate drug use is still unknown. The aim of this study was to estimate the potentially inappropriate medication prevalence in patients > or =70 years of age at admission to and at discharge from an acute medical geriatric unit, and to identify the factors associated with no longer being a potentially inappropriate drug user at hospital discharge. METHODS: A prospective drug surveillance study was undertaken in 2018 elderly patients (> or =70 years of age) admitted to an acute medical geriatric unit in Limoges University Hospital, France. Prescribing patterns were established at admission and at discharge. Potentially inappropriate medication use was evaluated according to a list derived from the Beers criteria and adapted to French practice. "To be no longer a potentially inappropriate drug user at discharge" was defined as using at least one potentially inappropriate medication at admission and not using it at discharge. RESULTS: The numbers of drugs used at admission/discharge were 6.2 +/- 3.1/5.4 +/- 2.5. The prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication use decreased from 66% (95% CI 63.8, 68.0) at admission to 43.6% (95% CI 41.3, 45.9) at discharge. At discharge, 535 subjects were no longer potentially inappropriate medication users. Multivariate analysis showed that no longer being a potentially inappropriate medication user was associated with the number of drugs used (4-6 drugs vs < or =3 odds ratio [OR] 1.20; 95% CI 0.86, 1.68; 7-9 drugs vs < or =3 OR 1.37; 95% CI 0.97, 1.93; > or =10 drugs vs < or =3 OR 1.64; 95% CI 1.10, 2.44), age (80-89 years vs 70-79 years OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.03, 1.85; > or =90 years vs 70-79 years OR 1.69; 95% CI 1.22, 2.83), cerebral vasodilator use (OR 2.87; 95% CI 2.31, 3.57), analgesic use (OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.06, 2.25) and concomitant use of psychotropic drugs of the same therapeutic class (OR 1.94; 95% CI 1.29, 2.92). CONCLUSION: Hospitalisation in geriatric services results in a reduction in potentially inappropriate medication use. Improved pharmacological education of practitioners, especially with regard to drug adverse effects, is desirable to improve management of geriatric patients.     

依据Beers标准(2015版)评价老年住院患者潜在不适当用药

目的:通过对老年住院患者用药的回顾性调查评价,发现存在的潜在不适当用药(PIM),为老年患者合理用药提供参考。方法:依据Beers标准(2015版),对2016年1—12月某院老年科302例65岁以上住院患者用药进行回顾性评价,分析存在的PIM情况。结果:患者平均年龄(82.6±8.2)岁,平均用药(19.8±9.1)种。依据Beers标准(2015版),有198位患者(占65.56%)存在PIM,共涉及448例次药物的使用。448例次PIM中,涉及消化系统用药134例次(占29.97%),中枢神经系统用药127例次(占28.25%);疾病相关性PIM 65例次(占21.52%);使用了老年患者应谨慎使用的药物64例次,占21.19%;非抗感染药之间相互作用PIM共59例次(占19.54%);7例次药物的使用,未根据患者肾功能情况避免或减量使用。结论:老年住院患者存在一定比例的PIM情况。为保障老年患者用药安全,应采取措施,减少不合理用药数量。     

Potentially inappropriate prescribing in Canada relative to the US

OBJECTIVE: To explore the prescribing of potentially inappropriate drug therapy in Ontario, Canada where there is a restrictive drug formulary relative to the US where there is no single drug formulary. METHODS: A retrospective, cohort study using an administrative database (Ontario, Canada) compared with published survey results (US). All 1,088,680 community-dwelling adults >or=66 years of age in Ontario, Canada compared with published survey results from 2455 community-dwelling older adults in the US in 1996.Patterns of potentially inappropriate drug prescribing were compared between countries using a list of 33 potentially inappropriate drug therapies. These therapies were classified by an expert panel into three categories: (i) those to always avoid; (ii) those which are rarely appropriate; and (iii) those with only some indications to prescribe. RESULTS: Among the 33 potentially inappropriate drug therapies, 15 (45%) prescribed in the US were not available through Ontario's drug formulary. Potentially inappropriate drug therapies available through the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan (ODB) and also in the US were frequently prescribed in both Ontario and the US. Differences in prescribing patterns of individual drug therapies were noted between the two countries. Specifically, in the rarely appropriate category, diazepam, a long half-life benzodiazepine, was much more frequently dispensed in Ontario than in the US (3.18% vs 1.37%). In contrast, dextropropoxyphene, an opioid with a poor adverse event profile was more frequently prescribed in the US than in Ontario (6.21% vs 0.74%). CONCLUSION: Almost half of the potentially inappropriate drug therapies that are available in the US are unavailable from Ontario's drug formulary. Potentially inappropriate drug therapies that were available through the ODB were frequently prescribed in both countries. Alternative approaches that make information immediately accessible to physicians at the time they make prescribing decisions should be considered to improve prescribing practices.