Analysis of medication instructions for elderly people in drug labels in China

Abstract

Objective To analyze the contents related to elderly people in medication instructions of oral drugs commonly used in China. Methods Oral medicines in Department of Outpatient Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University were recorded using Electronic Management System of drugs and composition ratio of different kinds of drugs were calculated. The notes for elderly people in medicine instructions were extracted and compared with administration suggestion (risk points) of the same drugs described in 2012 edition of Beers Criteria. Results A total of 368 kinds of oral drugs in Department of Outpatient Pharmacy were collected. Of them, varieties of drugs for central nervous system ranked first (93 kinds, 25.3%), varieties of drugs for cardiovascular system ranked second (62, 16.8%), varieties of drugs for digestive system ranked third (38, 10.3%). Of the 368 kinds of oral drugs, medication instructions of 259 drugs (70.4%) were marked with notes for elderly people; medication instructions of 75 drugs (20.4%) were marked that no related tests were performed, no reliable references were provided or not clear; medication instructions of 34 drugs (9.2%) were not marked. Eighty kinds of drugs which were used in Department of Outpatient Pharmacy in 2013 were included in 2012 Beers Criteria. Of them, 8 kinds of drugs (10.0%) were not marked notes for elderly people and other 72 kinds of drugs (90.0%) were marked. Compared with the 2012 edition of Beers Criteria, the 72 kinds of drugs used in Department of Outpatient Pharmacy were divided into 4 kinds of results: risk points were not marked (52.5%, 42/80), risk points were different (25.0%, 20/80), risk points were less than those marked in Beers Criteria (6.3%, 5/80), and risk points were identical (6.3%, 5/80). Conclusion The notes for elderly people in medication instructions of commonly used oral drugs in China need further improvement to ensure medication safety in elderly patients. Key words: Aged; Catalogs, drug; Prospectuses; Beers Criteria