Aims: The aims of the present study, conducted in two regions of Italy, Calabria and Piedmont, were: to assess the use of inappropriate drugs according to the Beers Criteria; to study the possible drug-drug interactions; to perform the possible strategies for avoiding the potential harmful prescriptions, by using the STOPP and START criteria.
Methods: Data were obtained retrospectively from 972 residential care patients between 2016 and 2018.
Results: Mean age was 82.4 ± 8.4 years old, with a prevalence of women (64.8%). ADL, IADL, MMSE, CIRS, NPI and number and kind of drugs were recorded. A classification of potential inappropriate drugs was made according to the Beers criteria. Data were collected through an Excel file able to gather the main information. In the case of suspected adverse event, Naranjo Scale was applied. The study of possible drug-drug interactions was made by Micromedex 2.0. Functional and cognitive impairments, comorbidities and number of drugs were assessed. The bivariate relationship between number of drugs and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) showed that the higher the number of drugs used was, the worst was kidney function assessed (p = 0.0001). The most frequent inappropriate drugs were anticholinergic drugs, tricyclics antidepressants, long half-life benzodiazepines, antipsychotics and proton pump inhibitors.
Conclusions: These data are very interesting and show the need for an accurate choice of drugs in elderly people and for starting a wise deprescribing procedure.
doi: 10.17756/jnen.2020-suppl2
Citation: Global Virtual Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia (GVCAD-2020). J Neurol Exp Neurosci 6(2): S4-S7.
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