Identifying potentially inappropriate prescriptions in patients over 65 years-old using original Beers criteria and their Spanish adaptation

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare the detection of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) using the original Beers criteria, a global reference for evaluating prescriptions in the elderly, and their Spanish version. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study LOCATION: A Primary Care area in the province of Murcia, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 7,856 subjects aged 65 and over, with at least one drug prescribed in a Primary Care Area of Spain during study period. METHOD: Illnesses and treatments registered in the Primary Care computerised medical history of patients were analysed during a 12month study period (2012). The original Beers criteria and their Spanish adaptation were used to evaluate PIM, considering both sets of criteria overall, and individually. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 76.0years, with the majority females (56.6%). Patients received a median of 13 active substances and 66 medical prescriptions. The percentage of patients prescribed PIM ranged from 44.8% according to the original Beers criteria to 49.4% with the Spanish adaptation. CONCLUSIONS: PIMs are frequent in our context. The original Beers criteria, if not adapted to the local drug catalogue, underestimated the frequency of PIM in the elderly population studied.