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Review
. 2010 Apr 7:5:75-87.
doi: 10.2147/cia.s9564.

Inappropriate prescribing in the hospitalized elderly patient: defining the problem, evaluation tools, and possible solutions

Robert L Page 2nd  1 , Sunny A Linnebur, Lucinda L Bryant, J Mark Ruscin
Affiliations
Review

Inappropriate prescribing in the hospitalized elderly patient: defining the problem, evaluation tools, and possible solutions

Robert L Page 2nd et al. Clin Interv Aging. .

Abstract

Potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) prescribing in older adults is quite prevalent and is associated with an increased risk for adverse drug events, morbidity, and utilization of health care resources. In the acute care setting, PIM prescribing can be even more problematic due to multiple physicians and specialists who may be prescribing for a single patient as well as difficulty with medication reconciliation at transitions and limitations imposed by hospital formularies. This article highlights critical issues surrounding PIM prescribing in the acute care setting such as risk factors, screening tools, and potential strategies to minimize this significant public health problem.

Keywords: Beers’ criteria; adverse drug events; adverse drug reactions; aged; elderly; inappropriate prescribing; screening.

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