1,2,3Department of Pharmacy Practice, Srinivas College of Pharmacy, Manglore -574143.
The elderly population has shown a consistent increase in recent years. In terms of drug prescriptions, this group is notably at risk due to factors like polypharmacy and physiological changes related to aging, making them more vulnerable to the adverse effects of medications. Various tools, such as Beer's criteria, Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions (STOPP), and Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment (START), are used to evaluate the appropriateness of prescriptions for geriatric patients. The primary aim of the study was to explore the correlation between Potentially Inappropriate Medications (PIMs), assess polypharmacy, drug interactions, and check the appropriateness of prescriptions among geriatric patients at a tertiary care hospital. Over a 7-month period, a prospective observational study was conducted on patients aged over 65, using a validated data collection form. Findings revealed that 74% of prescriptions exhibited polypharmacy, with 495 identified instances of Drug-Drug Interactions among the 150 participants. Notably, 33.3% of patients were found to be using at least one potentially inappropriate medication according to Beer's criteria. STOPP criteria identified a total of 18 such medications, while START criteria pinpointed 27 instances of prescribing omissions among the 150 prescriptions. The study also established a positive correlation between the number of prescribed drugs, existing medical conditions, and the presence of potentially inappropriate medications. The prevalence of polypharmacy, associated drug interactions, and PIMs among the geriatric population significantly impacts healthcare outcomes. It's crucial to consider these various criteria, often considered the gold standard, before prescribing medications to this demographic.
Krishnananda Kamath K, Chethan Prabhu*, Ramakrishna Shabaraya, Assessing Medication Appropriateness: A Prospective Observational Study At A Tertiary Care Hospital Using Beers, Start/Stopp Criteria, And Polypharmacy Analysis, Int. J. in Pharm. Sci., 2023, Vol 1, Issue 11, 308-314. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10137735
10.5281/zenodo.10137735
