scholarly journals Evaluation of Rationality of Geriatric Patients’ Prescription Based On Beers Criteria in a Tertiary Care Hospital in India

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 987-991
Author(s):  
Nader Motallebzadeh ◽  
Geetha Jayaprakash ◽  
Elham Mohammadi

AIM: Irrational prescribing for geriatric patients has become an important public health problem worldwide. Because India is one of the most populated countries having a great proportion of old people in the world, studies on the prevalence of inappropriate prescriptions can be very beneficial to increase the knowledge of health care providers and to reduce the occurrence of adverse drug events among this population. METHODS: A group of 482 inpatients above 64 years old were enrolled in a prospective study. Chart review method was used. The data were collected from patients’ prescription and medicine charts. Each prescription was checked individually for the inappropriate drug by using the AGS 2015 Updated Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults. Suggestions were given to the physicians for inappropriate medications. RESULTS: The prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication is found to be 11.66% (n = 56). Out of 56 inappropriate medications, the most frequently inappropriate medication is Digoxin (25%) followed by Sprinolactone 19.64%. This study founds age, some medication, length of stay and number of diagnosis as predictors for getting a PIM. Feedback of the physicians varies based on the suggestions. CONCLUSION: This study concludes that the prevalence of PIMs among geriatrics patients of ≥ 65 years old is 11.66%. Some predictors have been identified for getting a PIM. This study shows that physicians’ feedback is dependent on the suggestions being given.  

Author(s):  
Hananeh Baradaran ◽  
Mohammad Nasirpur ◽  
Hadi Hamishehkar

Background: Pharmacotherapy in elderly patients has become a major concern due to their physiological changes, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics variations and poly-pharmacy. In considering the global trend in population aging, we aim to evaluate the effect of “Beers Criteria” education on prescribing medications for elderly patients by General Practitioners (GPs). Methods: Thirty GPs with the highest number of prescriptions were included in this pilot study. All prescriptions written over a three-month period were considered, then prescriptions for geriatric patients were selected and evaluated. The GPs were trained using pamphlets and booklets which were prepared based on Beers 2015 explicit criteria. In order to evaluate the effect of education, appropriateness of prescriptions was analyzed before and 1 month following training. Results: Of 15,447 prescriptions selected during the first step, 1,281 prescriptions were related to geriatric patients in which the prevalence of inappropriate drug prescriptions was 37.3%. The most inappropriate medications identified were Bisacodyl, Alprazolam, and Hyoscyamine. While in the second step 1,055 of 15,154 prescriptions concerned the elderly and inappropriate drug prescription rate was noted as 23.6%. The most common inappropriate medications included Alprazolam, Amitriptyline, and Hyoscyamine. Based on our results, the prevalence of prescribing potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) for elderly patients is high among GPs and educational interventions that raise awareness about “Beers Criteria” significantly reduce the prescribing PIMs. Conclusion: Given the importance of GP training programs in reducing inappropriate prescription rates among geriatric patients, it will be necessary for the National Committee of Rational Use of Drugs (NCRUD) to consider undertaking comprehensive educational strategies for reducing the prevalence of inappropriate medication use in elderly people.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rishabh Sharma ◽  
Parveen Bansal ◽  
Manik Chhabra ◽  
Malika Arora

Background: In the past decade, the prevalence of Potentially Inappropriate Medication (PIM) among elderly inpatients has increased drastically. However, limited data is available on PIM indicators, and PIMs use among the elderly in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Objective: To determine the prevalence of PIMs in elderly hospitalized patients with CKD. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 102 patients in a tertiary care hospital. PIMs were identified using Beers criteria 2019. A Chi-square test was used to determine the association between variables and PIMs use. Results: PIMs, as assessed according to AGS updated Beers criteria 2019 was found to be in more than 68.6% of patients of median age 65years and 3 number of diagnoses and seven days median length of stay. Most of the patients (47.1%) had ≥four diagnoses. The most common comorbidities in the patient were diabetes mellitus (n=54) and hypertension (n=55). Most of the subjects (66.7%) were on polypharmacy (5-9 medications/day), and 25.5% were on a higher level of polypharmacy (>10 medicines/day). Approximately 90% of the patients had very low CrCl < 21ml/min (calculated with the help of Cockcroft- Gault formula). A significant association between PIM use and an increased number of diagnoses, polypharmacy or high-level polypharmacy, was observed. Conclusion: The prevalence of PIMs in elderly inpatients suffering from CKD is relatively high. The study indicates negligence/ lack of awareness amongst physicians leading to increase PIM use. The authors propose that the CKD patients should attract the special attention of the physician and should be treated as brand ambassadors or alarming bells for PIM use.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sreedharan Nair ◽  
Syam Sundar ◽  
Srilakshmi Cheeti ◽  
Aditi Bajpai ◽  
S Deepika ◽  
...  

Background: Inappropriate medication use poses a sizable health safety hazard in the elderly owing to aging-associated physiological and anatomic changes. Inappropriate drug prescribing and polypharmacy in this population elevates the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADR). To assess the prevalence and predictors of Potentially Inappropriate Medication (PIM) use in elderly patients according to updated Beers Criteria 2019. Method: Medical Records of 402 patients aged ≥65 years admitted a tertiary care hospital from June 2018 to May 2019 were analyzed. The patients who experienced at least one PIM based on the 2019 Updated Beers Criteria were considered as cases and others as control. Data were presented as descriptive statistics and logistic regression was performed to assess the factors affecting the outcomes. Result: The mean age was found to be 73.7 ± 6.4 years in the test and 70.5± 5.5 years in the control group. The prevalence of PIMs to be used with caution was found to be 54%. Whereas the prevalence of PIMs to be avoided and to be used with reduced dose was found to be 45% and 1% respectively. The most prescribed PIMs were aspirin, diuretics, long-acting sulfonylureas, and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Increasing age, polypharmacy, and the number of drugs in medication history were significantly (P<0.05) correlated with a substantial risk of PIM use. The risk of developing serious and moderate drug-drug interactions (DDIs) was significantly high in the test group (P<0.05) when compared to the control group. Conclusion: A high prevalence of PIMs was observed in this study. Age, polypharmacy and ≥3 drugs in medication history were identified as risk factors for PIM use and were at a higher risk of developing DDIs. Continuous medication review by clinical pharmacists can aid in reducing the occurrence of PIMs amongst geriatrics.


Author(s):  
Anjali Singh ◽  
Sruthi Bhaskaran ◽  
Anshuja Singla

Background: Due to unrestricted free availability of abortion pills, despite of national policies, guidelines and medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) act, unsafe abortions by self-administration of these drugs for termination of unwanted pregnancies without prescription are becoming common in our country, leading to associated morbidity and mortality.Methods: A prospective Observational study was done at Guru Teg Bahadur hospital, university college of medical sciences, New Delhi, from November 2019 to April 2020, in the department of gynecology and obstetrics, on women visiting the outpatient department and casualty department with the history of self-administration of medical termination pills without prescription. This study was done to study the outcome and complications occurring due to self-administration of over-the-counter abortion pills that are freely available in the market. 95 women were included in study and data was collected regarding age, education level, parity, presenting complaints, complications and their management. Descriptive analysis of the collected data was done.Results: In this study 95 women were included 71.6% took pills before 8 weeks of gestation, 1% took in second trimester. 46.3% landed up in incomplete abortion and 33.68% needed surgical evacuation, 8.42% had ectopic out, 2.1% had scar site pregnancy and 7.36% needed laparotomy, 1.05% had rupture uterus followed by abortion pill intake while 1.05% suffered from acute kidney injury (AKI). There was no ICU admission nor any mortality.Conclusions: There is urgent need of strict legislation to curtail this bad practice and free availability of over-the-counter abortion pills which leads to unexpected morbidity and mortality, such drugs should be given only by health care providers under supervision, there is need of community level awareness so as to impart knowledge regarding this problem. 


2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samina Ismail ◽  
Shemila Abbasi ◽  
Sobia Khan ◽  
Abdul Monem ◽  
Gauhar Afshan

AbstractAims:The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors responsible for epidural analgesia (EA) refusal among parturient patients.Methods:In this prospective cross-sectional study of six months, we included all consenting postpartum patients having a non-operative delivery in the obstetric unit of our hospital. Data were collected on a predesigned questionnaire and included information such as parity, education, reasons for delivering with or without EA, source of information and patient satisfaction. Knowledge regarding EA was assessed from patients delivering without EA.Results:From 933 patients enrolled, 730 (78.2%) delivered without EA, and 203 (21.7%) with EA. Only 11 (1.5%) patients refused EA for the reason of having natural birth process. Otherwise common reasons were misconceptions (65.9%) and lack of awareness about EA (20.5%); 70.5% had no knowledge of common side effects of EA. Among patients delivering with EA, 92.6% were offered EA by health care providers and had obstetricians and anesthesiologists as their sources of information.Conclusions:Patients in developing countries are laboring without EA, even in centers where there is a provision for it. The main reasons for not availing themselves of EA are lack of awareness and knowledge and misconceptions, rather than the desire to have un-medicated natural birth.


CJEM ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (S1) ◽  
pp. S86-S86
Author(s):  
L.B. Chartier ◽  
S. Hansen ◽  
D. Lim ◽  
S. Yi ◽  
B. McGovern ◽  
...  

Introduction: In order to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients requiring resuscitation (PRRs) in the emergency department (ED), health care providers (HCPs) must provide an efficient, multi-disciplinary and coordinated response. A quality improvement (QI) project was undertaken to improve HCP response to PRRs at two tertiary care hospital EDs in Toronto. Methods: We conducted a before-and-after mixed-method survey to evaluate the perception of the adequacy of HCP response and clarity of HCP role when responding to PRRs. The results were compared using the Chi-square test. Qualitative responses to the first survey were also used to inform the development of the QI project. Through interviews of key stakeholders and with continuous input from front-line ED HCPs, a multi-disciplinary team modified the ED resuscitation protocol. This included standardized pre-hospital communication form with paramedics, ED-wide overhead announcement of ‘Code Resus’, dedicated HCPs assigned to respond to PRRs, and specific duties assigned to each responder. Change initiatives were reinforced through education and posters in the ED. Six months after implementation, a second survey was conducted to evaluate the sustained effects of the intervention. Results: Baseline measures indicated that 16 of 52 (30.8%) nurses surveyed believed their role was often or always apparent to themselves and others when they attended to a PRR (on a 5-point rating scale). This proportion increased to 35 of 55 (63.6%) nurses in the post-implementation survey (p < 0.001). Regarding adequacy of the number of HCPs responding to PRRs, 17 of 39 (43.6%) physicians and 23 of 53 (43.4%) nurses surveyed thought the appropriate number of HCPs responded to PRRs; the remainder thought that there were too few or too many HCPs. In the post-implementation survey, 34 of 41 (82.9%) physicians (p < 0.001) and 36 of 56 (64.3%) nurses (p = 0.029) surveyed felt that the appropriate number of HCPs attended to PRRs. Conclusion: Using a quality improvement approach, we identified and quantified perceived deficiencies in HCP response to PRRs in the ED. Through feedback-based modifications of the ED resuscitation protocol and by engaging HCP stakeholders, change initiatives were implemented to improve HCP response. As a result, this project achieved significant and sustained improvements in HCPs’ perceived response to PRRs.


2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Salbu ◽  
Judith Feuer

The Beers Criteria identifies potentially inappropriate medications for patients who are 65 years of age and older. Initially published in 1991, the criteria have been updated multiple times, most recently in 2015. The Beers Criteria is a tool designed to alert health-care providers to the potential harms of specific medications so they may better tailor therapeutic regimens for their elderly patients. The expert panel of the 2015 update made changes to a number of previous recommendations and provided 2 new tables on select drug interactions and select medications requiring renal dose adjustments. The purpose of this review is to provide additional details and rationale behind selected noteworthy changes within the 2015 criteria. Specific information is provided on the changes in recommendations for the use of nitrofurantoin, antiarrhythmics, nonbenzodiazepine receptor agonist hypnotics, antipsychotics, and proton pump inhibitors in the elderly. Additional comparisons are made between the 2012 recommendations and newer recommendations made in the 2015 update, along with rationale for the change. This review will allow practitioners to apply the 2015 Beers Criteria and integrate their clinical judgment when evaluating and selecting drug therapy for elderly patients.


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