Usefulness of STOPP/START criteria and Beers criteria for prescribing in geriatric patients in a tertiary health care center, Raipur, Central India

Abstract

A BSTRACT Background: Polypharmacy and inappropriate prescribing are risk factors for adverse clinical outcomes in older people. Screening tools can identify potential medicine-related patient safety incidents for the elderly on multiple medicines and with chronic diseases. Methods: In this prospective observational study, details of demography, diagnosis, history of constipation/peptic ulcer disease, over-the-counter medications, and clinical and laboratory findings were noted. Information obtained was reviewed and analyzed with the help of STOPP/START and Beers 2019 criteria. At 1 month follow-up, improvement was assessed with the help of a structured questionnaire. Results: As per the criteria, modification in drugs was recommended for 213 drugs; it was actually performed for 27.73% and 48.71% drugs as per Beers and STOPP/START criteria, respectively. Glimepiride was replaced with short-acting sulfonylureas because of hypoglycemia, and angiotensin receptor blockers were stopped because of hyperkalemia as per Beers criteria. Statins were started in 19 patients by START criteria. Overall general health improvement was observed at 1 month, but an increase in anxiety, tension, worry, depressed feel, and insomnia was observed in initial days of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Conclusions: In view of polypharmacy in the prescriptions, the combination of prescribing criteria need to be considered while prescribing medications to the elderly to get optimum therapeutic benefits and improvement in the quality of life. The quality of primary care of the elderly can also be improved by use of screening tools such as STOPP/START and Beers criteria by a primary/family physician. Prescription evaluation by a trained pharmacologist/physician for possible drug/food/disease interactions and for therapy modification can be incorporated for routine geriatric care at a tertiary care center. Clinical trial registry of India registration number: CTRI/2020/01/022852

Analysis of Drugs Prescribed to Elderly Patients in a Tertiary Health Care Center in Raipur, Central India: An Observational Study

“…Scherf-Clavel, in a review of OTC medications, identified the groups that were frequently involved in drug-drug interactions (DDIs) as NSAIDs, food supplements, antacids, PPIs, H2 antihistamines, laxatives, antidiarrheal drugs, and herbal drugs [ 21 ]. To avoid adverse drug interactions and appropriate prescriptions of drugs in elderly patients, STOPP/START criteria and Beers criteria can be used [ 15 ].…”

“…The data for this study were collected from 234 elderly patients. The drug data used in this analysis was already collected under the previously published study by the authors [ 15 ], which was unused earlier. Drug data were collected from the study participants after obtaining written informed consent from each participant.…”

Assessment of START and STOPP in Geriatric patients of Tertiary care Hospital: A prospective observational study

“…5,6,7 Various studies showed that, elderly population are prone to develop drug related problems due to polypharmacy, comorbidities and inappropriate prescribing which may lead to adverse clinical outcomes. 8,9 Potentially inappropriate prescribing of drugs is not only hazardous to patients, but may also increase the health care cost, morbidity and mortality. 10,11,12,13 PIP also includes under prescribing, over prescribing and/or mis prescribing.…”