<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The study was conducted at the Clinical Centre Kragujevac, during the period March-May 2016. The study population consisted of patients older than 65 that were treated at different departments of the Clinic for Internal Medicine. Data were collected from hospital medical records of patients and anonymous semi-structured questionnaires. STOPP (screening tool of older people's prescriptions)/ START (screening tool to alert to right treatment) criteria from 2014 were used to monitor the outcome of interest. Based on the outcome PIM (potentially inappropriate drugs)/PPO (potential prescribing omissions), respondents were divided into groups of cases - patients to whom at least one potentially inappropriate drug determined by STOPP criteria was prescribed and those with at least one potential prescribing omission determined by START criteria. Control groups were patients without these outcomes. Most commonly, PIM was detected in the treatment of cardiovascular system diseases (27.12%), followed by the use of drugs that predispose falls in elderly (20.34%). The most important risk factors for the occurrence of PIM were female gender (OR=3.27; 95% CI 1.01-10.64), polypharmacy (5-8 drugs used simultaneously) (OR=3.10; 95% CI 1.11-12.04) and with whom the patient lives (OR=11.26; 95% CI 1.46-86.68). The use of STOPP/START criteria is proved to be efficient in the detection of PIM/PPO at the secondary level of health care. Full attention should always be paid to patients who are at the highest risk for inappropriate drug prescription. Doctors should make their decisions conscientiously and in line with clinical evidence, not blindly believing the pharmaceutical representatives.</p>
</abstract>

The study was conducted at the Clinical Centre Kragujevac, during the period March-May 2016. The study population consisted of patients older than 65 that were treated at different departments of the Clinic for Internal Medicine. Data were collected from hospital medical records of patients and anonymous semi-structured questionnaires. STOPP (screening tool of older people's prescriptions)/ START (screening tool to alert to right treatment) criteria from 2014 were used to monitor the outcome of interest. Based on the outcome PIM (potentially inappropriate drugs)/PPO (potential prescribing omissions), respondents were divided into groups of cases - patients to whom at least one potentially inappropriate drug determined by STOPP criteria was prescribed and those with at least one potential prescribing omission determined by START criteria. Control groups were patients without these outcomes. Most commonly, PIM was detected in the treatment of cardiovascular system diseases (27.12%), followed by the use of drugs that predispose falls in elderly (20.34%). The most important risk factors for the occurrence of PIM were female gender (OR=3.27; 95% CI 1.01-10.64), polypharmacy (5-8 drugs used simultaneously) (OR=3.10; 95% CI 1.11-12.04) and with whom the patient lives (OR=11.26; 95% CI 1.46-86.68). The use of STOPP/START criteria is proved to be efficient in the detection of PIM/PPO at the secondary level of health care. Full attention should always be paid to patients who are at the highest risk for inappropriate drug prescription. Doctors should make their decisions conscientiously and in line with clinical evidence, not blindly believing the pharmaceutical representatives.

Analysis of Potentially Inappropriate Drug Prescribing in Hospitalized Elderly Patients

Experimental and Applied Biomedical Research (EABR)

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The study was conducted at the Clinical Centre Kragujevac, during the period March-May 2016. The study population consisted of patients older than 65 that were...

Analysis of Potentially Inappropriate Drug Prescribing in Hospitalized Elderly Patients

Published Online: Sep 20, 2022

Page range: 217 - 228

Received: Jul 26, 2019

Accepted: Aug 22, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjecr-2019-0040

Keywords
STOP/START, potential inappropriate prescribing, secondary health care, elderly

© 2022 Ksenija Kojicic, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Analysis of Potentially Inappropriate Drug Prescribing in Hospitalized Elderly Patients

Published Online: Sep 20, 2022

Page range: 217 - 228

Received: Jul 26, 2019

Accepted: Aug 22, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjecr-2019-0040

KeywordsSTOP/START, potential inappropriate prescribing, secondary health care, elderly

© 2022 Ksenija Kojicic, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
STOP/START, potential inappropriate prescribing, secondary health care, elderly