Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Inappropriate prescribing in intermediate care facilities

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Inappropriate prescribing for older people is a global healthcare problem. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of older patients receiving potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) at admission and discharge at the intermediate care facility of ASP Pio Albergo Trivulzio. We consecutively enrolled 100 patients aged ≥ 65 from December 2017 to May 2018 and evaluated PIMs with the 2015 version of the Beers criteria. We found a significant reduction in the prescription of drugs to avoid and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), while patients with at least one psychotropic drug to avoid or to use with caution significantly increased. The inappropriate prescription of PPIs was mainly associated with the use of heparin. Optimizing PPI and psychotropic drug prescriptions should be considered for deprescribing inappropriate polypharmacy in intermediate care facilities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  1. O’Connor MN, Gallagher P, O’Mahony D (2012) Inappropriate prescribing: criteria, detection and prevention. Drugs Aging 29:437–452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Pasina L, Astuto S, Nobili A (2016) LA VALUTAZIONE DELL’APPROPRIATEZZA PRESCRITTIVA NELL’ANZIANO: PUBBLICATI I NUOVI CRITERI DI BEERS. The evaluation of appropriateness of drug prescribing in older adults: the update of the Beers criteria. Giornale Italiano di Farmacoeconomia e Farmacoutilizzazione 8(1):5–15

  3. Viktil KK, Blix HS, Reikvam A et al (2007) Polypharmacy as commonly defined is an indicator of limited value in the assessment of drug-related problems. Br J Clin Pharmacol 63:187–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. American Geriatrics Society 2012 Beers Criteria Update Expert Panel (2012) American Geriatrics Society updated beers criteria for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 60:616–631

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Ghibelli S, Marengoni A, Djade CD et al (2013) Prevention of inappropriate prescribing in hospitalized older patients using a computerized prescription support system (INTERcheck(®)). Drugs Aging 30:821–828

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Iyer S, Naganathan V, McLachlan AJ et al (2008) Medication withdrawal trials in people aged 65 years and older; a systematic review. Drugs Aging 25:1021–1031

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Van der Cammen TJM, Rajkumar C, Onder G et al (2014) Drug cessation in complex older adults: time for action. Age Ageing 43:20–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Abrams W, Berkow R (2013) Manuale Merck di Geriatria. Excerpta Medica Italia

Download references

Acknowledgements

All authors critically revised the manuscript and approved its final version. We are grateful to J. D. Baggott for language editing.

Funding

No sources of funding were used in the conduct of this study or the preparation of this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giulia Bonini.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest directly relevant to the content of this manuscript.

Statement of human rights

Since it is a retrospective study, the approval by the ethics committee was not necessary.

Informed consent

All data were anonymous and informed consent was not required for this study.

Consent for publication

The author declares that any person named as co-author of the contribution is aware of the fact and has agreed to being so named.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bonini, G., Pasina, L., Cortesi, L. et al. Inappropriate prescribing in intermediate care facilities. Aging Clin Exp Res 33, 1085–1088 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-020-01602-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-020-01602-3

Keywords

Navigation