Potentially inappropriate medications prescribed for elderly patients through family physicians
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- 作者：Abdulaziz Al Odhayani ; drodhayani12@yahoo.com ; Ayla Tourkmani ; Mohammed Alshehri ; Hala Alqahtani ; Adel Mishriky
- 关键词：Inappropriate ; Prescribing ; Medications ; Elderly ; Adverse effects
- 刊名：Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences
- 出版年：2017
- 出版时间：January 2017
- 年：2017
- 卷：24
- 期：1
- 页码：200-207
- 全文大小：610 K
- 卷排序：24
文摘
The elderly population is increasing throughout the globe, resulting in higher healthcare costs. Potential inappropriate medication (PIM) prescriptions are a major health problem affecting the elderly persons. Due to limited studies in PIM use in primary care and home healthcare in Saudi Arabia, we aim to examine the extent of PIM prescription for and use by elderly patients. This study was carried out with 798 elderly patients, arbitrarily selected from Prince Sultan Medical Military City through the patient register. The mean age of the patients were in the range of 75.2 ± 5.5; 37.8% were males and 62.2% were females. The elderly patients are affected majorly with diabetes (73.9%), hypertension (83.2%) and lipid abnormalities (73.8%). The maximum patients involved in this study were affected with lower hemoglobin levels i.e. 99.2%. Renal impairment was found in 64% and iron supplements were the most commonly used in 23.1%, followed by analgesics and opioids (17%). The 52.5% of participants were using one or more PIMs. Kidney was the only functions and had influence on prescribed decisions. This study indicates PIM is a concern in elderly patients attending clinics and home residents and commonly prescribed ones are atypical antipsychotics, iron overdose, benzodiazepines and opioids. Prescription of drug–drug interactions, cascades and inappropriate drug doses results in preventable adverse effects.