Artikel
Adverse drug reactions and potentially inappropriate medication for the elderly
Beers Listen und unerwünschte Arzneimittelwirkungen
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Autoren
Veröffentlicht: | 6. November 2008 |
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Gliederung
Text
Background and aim: In elderly patients certain drugs are classified as potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) due to their increased risk for causing adverse drug reactions (ADRs) [1]. However, there are contradictory data whether prescription of drugs classified as PIM are associated with a higher risk for ADRs [2].
Material and method: Data from the literature regarding prescribing frequencies and ADRs associated with PIM will be critically analysed with respect to the German healthcare system and further related to data of ADRs occurring in the elderly and documented in the database of the German Network of Regional Pharmacovigilance Centres (NRPZ). In addition, the frequency of ADRs associated with PIM in the database will be evaluated separately [3].
Results: Prescription of PIM has been associated with higher use of health care resources in some studies and was not related with an increased risk for ADRs in others. Analyses were conducted in different settings, including hospitals, ambulatory prescriptions as well as nursing homes, which could explain some of the observed differences. None of the studies followed a vigorous, prospective design. Drugs of the Beers list do account only for approximately 5% of ADRs resulting in hospitalisation in the German NRPZ. The majority of ADRs in the elderly are caused by antidiabetics, diuretics, antithrombotics and beta-blockers, i.e. drugs not classified as PIM. More over, drug-drug interactions were more frequently observed in the elderly as a cause for hospital admission (p<0.001). In a multivariate analysis, the risk for receiving PIM increased with the number of drugs prescribed.
Conclusion: In the database of the German NRPZ prescription of PIM did not play a relevant role in elderly patients for the occurrence of ADRs.
Supported by BfArM: Fo 2.1-68502-201
References
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- 2.
- Jano E, Aparasu RR. Healthcare outcomes associated with beers' criteria: a systematic review. Ann Pharmacother. 2007;41(3):438-47.
- 3.
- Platel Y, Rottenkolber M, Szymanski J, Thürmann PA, Hasford J; German Pharmacovigilance Study Group. The use of inappropriate medications in the old does not substantially contribute to the occurrence of serious adverse drug reactions leading to hospital admission. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2007;101:390-1.