Potentially inappropriate prescriptions for elderly people taking antidepressant: comparative tools
Abstract Background The use of psychotropic drugs by elderly people is widely spread around the world, given that prevalence of inappropriate medication is frequent. Strictly speaking, in Brazil, the vulnerable population of elderly people is more likely to use Potentially Inappropriate Psychotropic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2017-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Geriatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12877-017-0674-2 |
| _version_ | 1819112340854931456 |
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| author | Izabela Fulone Luciane Cruz Lopes |
| author_facet | Izabela Fulone Luciane Cruz Lopes |
| author_sort | Izabela Fulone |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The use of psychotropic drugs by elderly people is widely spread around the world, given that prevalence of inappropriate medication is frequent. Strictly speaking, in Brazil, the vulnerable population of elderly people is more likely to use Potentially Inappropriate Psychotropic (PIP) due to the impact of social-economic characteristics, to the Brazilian Public Health System, and to the lack of patient monitoring. However, neither the use pattern nor the prevalence rate of PIP have been studied in Brazil so far. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of PIP in elderly outpatients taking antidepressants, and to compare the performance of two different tools (Beers, STOPP). Methods This cross-sectional study involved all the aged outpatients (≥ 60 years of age) taking antidepressants attended by the public health system in a city of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Data were obtained from a pharmacy database and medical records. All psychotropic drugs evaluated included: antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti-epileptics and benzodiazepines. STOPP and Beers criteria were applied to detect PIP. Results One thousand one hundred forty prescriptions from 174 outpatients were subjected to two different screening tools. The average patient age was 67 (interquartile range 63–74) and the median number of drugs used was 3.0 (interquartile 2–4) per patient. The overall prevalence of PIP was 121 (69.5%). The levels of PIP observed according to tools were 39.6% (STOPP) and 29.9% (Beers).The long-term use of benzodiazepines was the most common PIP recognized, and the one which contributed more significantly to higher levels of PIP than other medications. Conclusions The prevalence of PIP was high among the elderly. STOPP criteria identified more PIP than Beers criteria. Knowledge of PIP prevalence should gear efforts to reduce the level of inappropriate prescriptions and may provide the need for developing national criteria. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T04:11:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-97908481a5cd4e40a1888b29de75c296 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2318 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T04:11:58Z |
| publishDate | 2017-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Geriatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-97908481a5cd4e40a1888b29de75c2962022-12-21T18:39:30ZengBMCBMC Geriatrics1471-23182017-12-011711810.1186/s12877-017-0674-2Potentially inappropriate prescriptions for elderly people taking antidepressant: comparative toolsIzabela Fulone0Luciane Cruz Lopes1Pharmaceutical Sciences Post graduate Course, University of Sorocaba, UNISOPharmaceutical Sciences Post graduate Course, University of Sorocaba, UNISOAbstract Background The use of psychotropic drugs by elderly people is widely spread around the world, given that prevalence of inappropriate medication is frequent. Strictly speaking, in Brazil, the vulnerable population of elderly people is more likely to use Potentially Inappropriate Psychotropic (PIP) due to the impact of social-economic characteristics, to the Brazilian Public Health System, and to the lack of patient monitoring. However, neither the use pattern nor the prevalence rate of PIP have been studied in Brazil so far. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of PIP in elderly outpatients taking antidepressants, and to compare the performance of two different tools (Beers, STOPP). Methods This cross-sectional study involved all the aged outpatients (≥ 60 years of age) taking antidepressants attended by the public health system in a city of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Data were obtained from a pharmacy database and medical records. All psychotropic drugs evaluated included: antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti-epileptics and benzodiazepines. STOPP and Beers criteria were applied to detect PIP. Results One thousand one hundred forty prescriptions from 174 outpatients were subjected to two different screening tools. The average patient age was 67 (interquartile range 63–74) and the median number of drugs used was 3.0 (interquartile 2–4) per patient. The overall prevalence of PIP was 121 (69.5%). The levels of PIP observed according to tools were 39.6% (STOPP) and 29.9% (Beers).The long-term use of benzodiazepines was the most common PIP recognized, and the one which contributed more significantly to higher levels of PIP than other medications. Conclusions The prevalence of PIP was high among the elderly. STOPP criteria identified more PIP than Beers criteria. Knowledge of PIP prevalence should gear efforts to reduce the level of inappropriate prescriptions and may provide the need for developing national criteria.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12877-017-0674-2ElderlyPsychotropic drugsAntidepressantsScreening toolInappropriate medicationsPotentially |
| spellingShingle | Izabela Fulone Luciane Cruz Lopes Potentially inappropriate prescriptions for elderly people taking antidepressant: comparative tools BMC Geriatrics Elderly Psychotropic drugs Antidepressants Screening tool Inappropriate medications Potentially |
| title | Potentially inappropriate prescriptions for elderly people taking antidepressant: comparative tools |
| title_full | Potentially inappropriate prescriptions for elderly people taking antidepressant: comparative tools |
| title_fullStr | Potentially inappropriate prescriptions for elderly people taking antidepressant: comparative tools |
| title_full_unstemmed | Potentially inappropriate prescriptions for elderly people taking antidepressant: comparative tools |
| title_short | Potentially inappropriate prescriptions for elderly people taking antidepressant: comparative tools |
| title_sort | potentially inappropriate prescriptions for elderly people taking antidepressant comparative tools |
| topic | Elderly Psychotropic drugs Antidepressants Screening tool Inappropriate medications Potentially |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12877-017-0674-2 |
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