Farm Comunitarios. 2014 Jun 30;6(2):20-26. doi: 10.5672/FC.2173-9218.(2014/Vol6).002.04

Detection of potentially inappropriate prescriptions for elderly patients: a descriptive study in two community pharmacies

Mud Castelló F1, Mud Castelló S1, Rodríguez Moncho MJ1, Ivorra Insa MD2, Ferrándiz Manglano ML2
1. Farmacéuticos comunitarios en Ondara (Alicante) 2. Departamento Farmacología. Facultad de Farmacia. Universidad de Valencia
Mud F, Mud S, Rodríguez MJ, Ivorra MD, Ferrándiz ML. Detection of potentially inappropriate prescriptions for elderly patients: a descriptive study in two community pharmacies. Farm Comunitarios. 2014 Jun 30;6(2):20-26. doi: 10.5672/FC.2173-9218.(2014/Vol6).002.04
Abstract : 

Introduction: Elderly patients are a heterogeneous group who are prescribed a large number of medicaments. This leads to potentially inappropriate prescriptions.

Objective: To analyze the pharmacotherapy of elderly patients from community pharmacy in order to detect potentially inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP and Beers 2012) and potentially omitted prescriptions (START), determining its prevalence.

Methodology: A descriptive, observational study in which patients over 65, who needed primary care and had at least one long-term treatment, were included. The appropriateness of the medicine was verified according to Beers 2012 and STOPP & START criteria.

Results: 223 patients whose average age was 75 were included. 1558 medicines were prescribed in total, with an average of 7 medicaments per patient. 67  % of patients were polypharmacy. With Beers 2012, 246 inappropriate prescriptions were detected and the most repeated criteria were that of Benzodiazepines: short, intermediate and long (36 %) effect. With STOPP 146 inappropriate prescriptions were detected. The most common criterion was full-doze IBP for more than 8 weeks (14 %). With START, 103 potentially omitted prescriptions were detected, being antiplatelet in diabetes mellitus the most frequent (11.6 %).

Conclusion: Beers and STOPP-START 2012 criteria represent a useful tool in the detection of potential drug-related problems in a community pharmacy. In no case they involve a ban on the use of these drugs, since its prescription depends on the characteristics of the individual patient and the clinical judgment of the prescribing physician.

Editor: © SEFAC. Sociedad Española de Farmacia Clínica, Familiar y Comunitaria. 
Copyright© SEFAC. Sociedad Española de Farmacia Clínica, Familiar y Comunitaria. This article is available from url https://www.farmaceuticoscomunitarios.org/. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.en

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