Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions in Ambulatory Elderly Patients Living in Rural Areas of Romania Using STOPP/START (Version 2) Criteria.

Rational use of medications and monitoring of prescriptions in elderly patients is important to decrease the number and duration of hospitalizations, emergency medical consultations, mortality, as well as medical costs. To identify potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescription omissions (PPOs), and determine their prevalence based on the Screening Tool of Older Persons' potentially inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) v2 criteria and Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment (START) v2 criteria for patients aged >65 years. This cross-sectional study was conducted in two rural counties in Romania based on electronic prescriptions for chronic conditions (EPCCs) issued from 30 days to 90 days by a specialist or general practitioner. Collected EPCCs were evaluated by an interdisciplinary team of specialists based on 26 STOPP v2 criteria and 10 START v2 criteria. PIM prevalence was 25.80% and PPO prevalence was 41.72% for 646 EPCCs. The mean age of patients was 75 years and the mean number of drugs per EPCC was four. The most frequently identified PIMs were treatment duration (6.65%), theophylline administration (5.72%), drug indication (4.64%), cyclo-oxygenase-2 non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (1.39%), and zopiclone prescription (0.77%). Statins (24.76%), beta-blockers (8.04%), and beta-2 agonist/antimuscarinic bronchodilators (5.88%) were the most frequently identified PPOs. PPOs were more prevalent than PIMs for elderly populations living in the two rural counties in Romania we studied. Health practitioners (family physicians, specialists, and pharmacists) should focus on prophylactic and curative considerations when prescribing agents to decrease the morbidity and mortality of elderly rural Romanian patients.

Buda V ，Prelipcean A ，Andor M ，Dehelean L ，Dalleur O ，Buda S ，Spatar L ，Mabda MC ，Suciu M ，Danciu C ，Tudor A ，Petrescu L ，Cristescu C ... -  《Clinical Interventions in Aging》

Potentially inappropriate medications and potentially prescribing omissions in Chinese older patients: Comparison of two versions of STOPP/START.

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs) in elderly Chinese patients identified by the Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions/Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment (STOPP/START) version 2 (v2) and version 1 (v1). The secondary objective was to analyse the risk factors associated with the PIMs/PPOs. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study, and all patients were aged ≥65 years and discharged from internal medical wards of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital in December 2018. STOPP/START v2 and STOPP/START v1 were used to detect PIMs/PPOs. The concordance between the two versions was calculated using kappa tests. A logistic regression analysis was carried out to determine variables independently associated with PIM/PPO use. In the 662 patients included, the median age was 73 years and 361 were male (54.53%). PIMs were present in 36.1% and 47.7% of participants according to the STOPP v1 and STOPP v2, respectively. The prevalence of PPOs was 42.0% and 64.2% according to the START v1 and START v2, respectively. Drug prescribed without indication was the most common item in PIMs, whereas ACEIs were the drugs most frequently involved with PPOs according to the STOPP/START v2. Two versions of the STOPP criteria indicated a moderate coherence, whereas two versions of the START criteria showed poor accordance. Age (OR 1.029, 1.004-1.054), gender (OR 1.536, 1.103-2.138) and the number of prescribed medications (<5: OR 1; 5-9: OR 2.503, 1.173-5.342; ≥10: OR 4.324, 2.204-9.235) were associated factors with PIMs identified by the STOPP v2, whereas PPOs identified by the START v2 were independently associated with age (OR 1.039, 1.012-1.066), activities of daily living (ADL) score (OR 2.713, 1.818-4.048), the number of prescribed medications (<5: OR 1; 5-9: OR 2.704, 1.524-4.795; ≥10: OR 3.075, 1.704-5.549) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR 1.302, 1.110-1.529). This study showed a high prevalence of PIMs/PPOs in aged internal medical ward inpatients in China, which was associated with various correlates. The STOPP/START v2 had a higher detection rate than v1.

Ma Z ，Tong Y ，Zhang C ，Liu L ... -  《-》

Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing and Related Hospital Admissions in Geriatric Patients: A Comparative Analysis between the STOPP and START Criteria Versions 1 and 2.

Thevelin S ，Mounaouar LE ，Marien S ，Boland B ，Henrard S ，Dalleur O ... -  《-》

Potentially inappropriate prescribing in an Irish elderly population in primary care.

Ryan C ，O'Mahony D ，Kennedy J ，Weedle P ，Byrne S ... -  《-》

Potentially inappropriate prescribing and associated factors in elderly patients at hospital discharge in Brazil: a cross-sectional study.

Mori AL ，Carvalho RC ，Aguiar PM ，de Lima MG ，Rossi MD ，Carrillo JF ，Dórea EL ，Storpirtis S ... -  《-》