Polypharmacy In Older Adults Research Articles

The Association Between Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors and Polypharmacy in Older Adults: The Loma Linda Longevity Study

Polypharmacy—defined as taking numerous medications that may not be clinically necessary—is becoming a significant concern among the older adult population. This study examined the associations between lifestyle behaviors and the number of prescribed medications in older adults (75 years and older) living in the counties of San Bernardino and Riverside. This study employed a cross-sectional survey to assess lifestyle behaviors and medication use in 611 older adults aged 75 or over. Bivariate correlation and linear regression analyses were used to assess potential relationships between lifestyle behaviors and the number of prescribed medications. Fruit consumption ( P = 0.005), mild physical activity per week ( P < .001), and lifestyle index ( P = 0.003) had a highly significant inverse association with the number of prescribed medications. Fat consumption had a direct positive relationship with the number of prescribed medications ( P = 0.02). Higher fat intake was directly linked to an increased need for medications, while regular physical activity, a higher fruit intake, and a healthy overall lifestyle were all associated with a lower likelihood of polypharmacy. Future research can explore the mechanisms linking these behaviors with medication usage.

Dealing with adverse drug reactions in the context of polypharmacy using regression models

Polypharmacy in older adults increases the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), but studying this relationship is complex. In real-world data, the high number of medications, coupled with rare drug combinations, results in high-dimensional datasets that are difficult to analyze using conventional statistical methods. This study applies horseshoe and lasso regression for analyzing rare events in polypharmacy contexts, focusing on severe ADRs such as falls and bleedings. These regression models are executed on a multi-center dataset compiling 7175 cases from the ADRED project to detect potential ADR-associated drugs among 100 most common drugs in emergency department admissions. Positive predictors are classified by using 50% and 90% credibility intervals. This study demonstrates that regression models with horseshoe or lasso priors are effective for analyzing ADRs, providing a comprehensive consideration of multiple factors in large, sparse datasets and improving signal detection in polypharmacy, addressing a significant challenge in pharmacovigilance. Both priors yielded consistent and clinically meaningful results. The horseshoe regression resulted in fewer potential positive predictors overall, which could make it suitable as a diagnostic tool. While these regressions generate valuable information, there are still challenges in setting appropriate thresholds for determining and interpreting the positive results.

Prevalence of central nervous system-active polypharmacy in a cohort of older adults in Argentina.

Central nervous system (CNS)-active polypharmacy is frequent and potentially harmful in older patients. Data on its burden outside the USA and European countries remain limited. To estimate the period prevalence of and factors associated with out-of-hospital CNS-active polypharmacy in older adults. We used data from a cohort of out-patients aged ≥60 years affiliated to the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires' health maintenance organisation on 1 January 2021. A CNS-active polypharmacy event was defined as the concurrent exposure to ≥3 CNS-active medications (i.e. antidepressants, anti-epileptics, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, Z-drugs and opioids) through filled out-of-hospital prescriptions. We calculated the period prevalence of CNS-active polypharmacy for 2021. We identified factors associated with CNS-active polypharmacy using a multivariable logistic regression model to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI). We included 63 857 patients. Pre-existing mental health diagnoses included anxiety (21%), depressive (14%) and sleep (11%) disorders. CNS-active polypharmacy occurred in 4535 patients, for a period prevalence of 7.1% (95% CI: 6.9-7.3%). The combination of an antidepressant, an antipsychotic and a benzodiazepine accounted for 21% of the CNS-active polypharmacy events. Frontotemporal dementia (odds ratio: 14.67; 95% CI: 4.47-48.20), schizophrenia (odds ratio: 7.93; 95% CI: 4.64-13.56), bipolar disorder (odds ratio: 7.20; 95% CI: 5.45-9.50) and depressive disorder (odds ratio: 3.50; 95% CI: 3.26-3.75) were associated with CNS-active polypharmacy. One in 14 adults aged 60 years and older presented out-of-hospital CNS-active polypharmacy. Future studies should evaluate measures to reduce CNS-active medication use in this population.

Potentially inappropriate prescription of medications to older adults who access a community pharmacy in Peru

Polypharmacy in older adults is associated with a higher incidence of medication-related problems, such as pharmacological interactions, adverse reactions, and medication errors. This study aimed to identify and evaluate potentially inappropriate prescription of medications (PIP) using the screening tool of older persons’ prescriptions/screening tool to alert doctors to right treatment (STOPP/START) criteria in a representative community pharmacy in Trujillo, Peru. The population sample consisted of 158 subjects, with 66.5% between 65 and 69 years old, 53.8% male, and 77.9% receiving between 3 and 4 medications. Medical prescriptions were analyzed using the explicit STOPP/START version 2 criteria, revealing that 93.7% of patients presented STOPP criteria (to stop medication) and 53.8% presented START criteria (to start medication). The most frequently identified STOPP criterion was the gradual withdrawal of benzodiazepines, while the most frequently identified START criterion was the initiation of antihypertensive treatment in patients with systolic blood pressure > 160 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure > 90 mmHg. Principal component analysis showed that the high prevalence of PIP was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with the number of prescribed medications and as age decreases, the number of medical diagnoses also decreases. It is concluded that there is a high prevalence of PIP in the studied population, posing a greater challenge in older adults, highlighting the importance of addressing prescribing practices with greater involvement of community pharmacists.

Can pharmaceutical care interventions improve the appropriate use of polypharmacy in older adults? - A Cochrane Review summary with commentary.

Can pharmaceutical care interventions improve the appropriate use of polypharmacy in older adults? - A Cochrane Review summary with commentary.

The association between continuous polypharmacy and hospitalization, emergency department visits, and death in older adults: a nationwide large cohort study.

This study aimed to investigate the association between continuous polypharmacy and hospitalization, emergency department (ED) visits, and death. This retrospective study utilized 6,443,896 patients aged between 65 and 84years of National Health Insurance claims data from 2016 to 2018. Polypharmacy and excessive polypharmacy were defined as the concurrent use of 5 or more and 10 or more medications, respectively, for durations of both 90days or more and 180days or more within a 1-year observation period. The primary outcome measures included all-cause hospitalization, ED visits, and mortality. Multiple logistic regression models were used adjusting for patients' general characteristics, comorbidities, and history of hospitalization or ED visits. Among 2,693,897 patients aged 65-84years who had used medicines for 180days or more (2,955,755 patients taking medicines for 90days or more), the adverse outcomes were as follows: 20.5% (20.3%) experienced hospitalization, 10.9% (10.8%) visited the ED, and 1% (1%) died, respectively. In patients who exhibited polypharmacy for more than 180days, the adjusted odds ratio of adverse outcomes was 1.32 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-1.33) for hospitalization, 1.32 (95% CI, 1.31-1.33) for ED visits, 1.63 (95% CI, 1.59-1.67) for death, and that in excessive polypharmacy patients for more than 180days was 1.85 for hospitalization, 1.92 for ED visits, and 2.57 for death, compared to non-polypharmacy patients. Our results suggest that polypharmacy in older adults might lead to negative health consequences. Thus, interventions to optimize polypharmacy may need to be implemented.

Association between Polypharmacy and Hospitalization among Older Adults Admitted to Emergency Departments for Falls in Guadeloupe: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: Falls are a common geriatric syndrome in older people. Falls are associated with adverse health events such as dependency, unplanned emergency admissions and death. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with fall severity, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cognitive decline and polypharmacy, as well as sociodemographic characteristics in patients aged 70 years and over admitted to the emergency department in Guadeloupe. Method: A single-center, observational, retrospective study of patients aged 70 years and over admitted to the emergency department (ED) of the University Hospital of Guadeloupe for a fall between 1 May 2018 and 30 April 2019 was conducted. Fall severity was defined as the need for hospitalization. Bivariate analysis was used to determine the associations between fall severity and sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, history of falls and polypharmacy (defined as the daily use of at least five drugs). Polypharmacy was analyzed as a binary variable (>5 drugs daily; yes or no) in categories (0-3 (ref.), 4-6, 7-9 and ≥10 drugs). Results: During the study period, 625 patients who attended the ED for a fall were included. The mean age was 82.6 ± 7.6 years, and 51.2% were women. Of these, 277 patients (44.3%) were admitted to the hospital, and 3 patients (0.5%) died. In the bivariate analysis, only polypharmacy was associated with hospitalization for a fall (OR: 1.63 [95% CI: 1.33-2.02]). The odds ratios for the polypharmacy categories were 1.46 [95% CI 0.99-2.14], 1.65 [1.09-2.50] and 1.48 [0.76-2.85] for 4-6, 7-9 and ≥10 drugs, respectively. Conclusions: Polypharmacy was associated with hospitalization as a proxy for fall severity. A regular review of drug prescriptions is essential to reduce polypharmacy in older adults.

Multidisciplinary medication review during older patient hospitalization according to STOPP/START criteria reduces potentially inappropriate prescriptions: MoPIM cohort study

PurposeMultimorbidity and polypharmacy in older adults converts the detection and adequacy of potentially inappropriate drug prescriptions (PIDP) in a healthcare priority. The objectives of this study are to describe the clinical decisions taken after the identification of PIDP by clinical pharmacists, using STOPP/START criteria, and to evaluate the degree of accomplishment of these decisions.MethodsMulticenter, prospective, non-comparative cohort study in patients aged 65 and older, hospitalized because of an exacerbation of their chronic conditions. Each possible PIDP was manually identified by the clinical pharmacist at admission and an initial decision was taken by a multidisciplinary clinical committee. At discharge, criteria were re-applied and final decisions recorded.ResultsFrom all patients (n = 674), 493 (73.1%) presented at least one STOPP criteria at admission, significantly reduced up to 258 (38.3%) at discharge. A similar trend was observed for START criteria (36.7% vs. 15.7%). Regarding the top 10 most prevalent STOPP criteria, the clinical committee initially agreed to withdraw 257 (34.2%) prescriptions and to modify 93 (12.4%) prescriptions. However, the evaluation of final clinical decisions revealed that 503 (67.0%) of those STOPP criteria were ultimately amended. For the top 10 START criteria associated PIDP, the committee decided to initiate 149 (51.7%) prescriptions, while a total of 198 (68.8%) were finally introduced at discharge.ConclusionsThe clinical committee, through a pharmacotherapy review, succeeded in identifying and reducing the degree of prescription inadequacy, for both STOPP and START criteria, in older patients with high degree of multimorbidity and polypharmacy.Trial RegistrationNCT02830425.

Screening indicators to evaluate the clinical significance of drug-drug interactions in polypharmacy among older adults with psychiatric disorders: a delphi study

BackgroundPolypharmacy is common in older adults with psychiatric disorders, but no consensus has reached about the reliable indicators evaluating the benefits and risks of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in polypharmacy. We aimed to identify indicators suitable for evaluating the clinical significance of DDIs in polypharmacy in older adults with psychiatric disorders.MethodsThe online tools were used to distribute and collect the questionnaires. The Delphi method was applied to analyze experts’ opinions. The degree of authority and coordination of experts were analyzed using the coefficient of variation, coefficient of coordination, expert’s judgment factor, familiarity with the study content factor, and Kendall coordination coefficient. Statistical analysis was conducted using the IBM SPSS® Statistics Package version 26.0.ResultsAfter three rounds of expert consultation, five primary and eleven secondary indicators were identified. The primary “pharmacodynamic indicator” included “severity of adverse drug reactions”, “duration of adverse drug reaction”, “symptom relief”, “time to onset of symptomatic relief”, “number of days in hospital”, and “duration of medication”. The secondary “pharmacokinetic indicator” contained “dosage administered” and “dosing intervals”. The primary “patient tolerance indicator” contained one secondary indicator of “patient tolerability”. The primary indicator “patient adherence” contained one secondary indicator of “patient adherence to medication”. The primary indicator “cost of drug combination” contained one secondary indicator of “readmission”. These indicators were used to determine the clinical significance of DDIs during polypharmacy.ConclusionsThe clinical significance of drug combinations should be taken into account when polypharmacy is used in the elderly. The five primary indicators and eleven secondary indicators might be preferred to evaluate their risks and benefits. Medication management in this population requires a multidisciplinary team, in which nurses play a key role. Future research should focus on how to establish efficient multidisciplinary team workflows and use functional factors to assess DDIs in polypharmacy for psychiatric disorders.

Prevalence of polypharmacy, drug-drug interactions, and inappropriate prescription in elderly patients with urological cancers.

e23312 Background: Around 50% of new cancer diagnoses occur in patients (pts) > 65 years. Older adults tend to have more comorbidities and therefore prescription of several drugs. Polypharmacy (PP) [defined as prescription of > 5 drugs] has been identified as a prognostic factor and might also lead to relevant drug-drug interactions (DDI) and it is also associated in occasions with inappropriate prescriptions (IP). This study aims to determine prevalence of PP, DDI and potential IP in a uro-oncology clinic. Methods: Pts ≥ 70 years with urological tumors consecutively seen in a medical oncology clinic [May 1st- August31st2023] were offered to complete a questionnaire that included questions about drugs regularly taken, doses, frequency, objective of the treatment along with some key epidemiological data. A descriptive analysis of this information was performed to identify PF along with a search for DDI ( DrugDex ®) and IP (STAR/STOPP criteria). Results: 91 pts agreed to participate and 87 complete the questionnaires. Mean age was 76 years (range 70-91) and 84.5% were men; 64%, 31 and 5% had ECOG 0,1 and 2 respectively. The predominant cancer type was bladder (41%), followed by prostate (40%) and kidney cancer (19%). Polypharmacy was identified in 54 pts (62%), with 12 pts (22%) having ≥ 10 drugs prescribed. Two cases (2%) of duplicity of treatment were found (laxative; hypnotic). Ninety-five major and 37 moderate DDI were detected, of which 8 occurred between anticancer drugs (abiraterone, pazopanib, everolimus and carboplatin) and outpatient treatments. An IP analysis is being currently conducted and data will be presented at the meeting. Conclusions: Our study shows a high prevalence of polypharmacy in older adults with urological tumors and a significant rate of drug-drug interactions including interferences with oncological treatments. These results highlight the need for careful reviewing and monitoring the drugs prescribed to our patients in the clinic and calls for strengthen collaborations with pharmacists and nurses to optimize integral management of GU cancer patients.

Evaluation of an initiative to address polypharmacy in hospitalized older adults

AbstractBackgroundPolypharmacy contributes to medication‐related harm in older adults. Deprescribing interventions are often employed in the outpatient setting, potentially missing patients with limited healthcare access. Hospitalization represents a unique touch point to address polypharmacy in older adults with a multidisciplinary team.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study examined the feasibility and effectiveness of a polypharmacy intervention in hospitalized older adults. The intervention was developed by a multidisciplinary team with a quality improvement framework and implemented by clinical pharmacists on an academic teaching service. Adults aged 65 years and older were included. Pharmacists completed a comprehensive medication review with the identification of medication therapy problems (MTPs), with additional evaluation for polypharmacy (five or more chronic medications) and potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) using validated tools (Beers and STOPP/START criteria), with recommendations implemented during hospitalization. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the intervention and its outcomes. Reporting followed the SQUIRE statement.ResultsThe polypharmacy intervention was provided to 155 patients. Polypharmacy occurred in 98.7% of older adults, whereas 82.6% received at least one PIM (261 total). This demonstrates a significant need for an intervention to address polypharmacy and PIMs during hospitalization. A median of two MTPs was identified per patient (total 287), the most common being adverse drug reaction (present in 52.3% of patients), medication without indication (47.7%), and indication without medication (31%). Opioids were the most common PIM (present in 36.1% of patients), followed by benzodiazepines (10.3%) and skeletal muscle relaxants (8.4%). A total of 40.6% of PIMs were successfully deprescribed at discharge.ConclusionPolypharmacy is ubiquitous in hospitalized older adults. A multidisciplinary approach to deprescribing can reduce PIMs during hospitalization.

Assessment of fidelity to interventions aiming to improve appropriate use of polypharmacy in older people

Abstract Introduction Studies demonstrating the effectiveness of an intervention could lack reliability if they do not involve an assessment of intervention fidelity. Fidelity evaluations findings can provide valuable insights for implementing interventions in clinical trials and in finding solutions for more successful interventions.[1] Despite the importance of this methodological feature, there has been a lack of focus on assessing aspects of fidelity to interventions designed to improve appropriate polypharmacy in older adults.[2] Aim To assess intervention fidelity in studies aimed at improving appropriateness of polypharmacy in older adults. Methods A paper-based assessment was conducted to evaluate intervention fidelity in 10 trials added to a Cochrane review which was being updated.[2] The interventions were assessed by the research team, comprising pharmacists experienced in health research and authors of the aforementioned review.[2] Data were extracted and assessed using the National Institutes of Health Behaviour Change Consortium (NIH-BCC).[1] This framework involves five domains: intervention design, provider training, intervention delivery, intervention receipt and intervention enactment. There are 39 elements across the five domains which were assessed as ‘present,’ ‘absent, but should be present,’ or ‘not applicable’. A scale ranging from zero (strongly disagree) to six (strongly agree) was used to rate fidelity. If an element was judged as ‘present’, it was rated between 1-6 based on the extent of the description of its presence. If an element was judged as ‘absent, but should be present’, this was scored as zero. If the element was graded as ‘not applicable’, it was excluded. The overall fidelity score for each study was calculated as the sum of scores for all elements, ranging between 0-234, with ≤116 equating to poor fidelity, 117-176 equating to fair fidelity, and 177-234 equating to good fidelity. Barriers and facilitators to conducting effective interventions reported in the included trials were compiled and combined into descriptive categories. Results Of the 10 included trials, none addressed all NIH-BCC domains. Intervention design contains 16 elements, and nine were reported in the trials such as content of treatment dose of ‘intervention’ and ‘comparison’ conditions. Of the seven elements that comprised provider training, three elements were addressed (e.g. how providers were trained). Six out of nine elements that encompassed delivery of intervention were presented (e.g. method to ensure the dose of intervention is delivered as specified). Of the five elements that comprised receipt of intervention, two elements were acknowledged including multicultural factors considered in development and delivery of intervention. The enactment domain was not considered in trials. Individual total study scores ranged between 19-72, with intervention fidelity for each study considered poor. Barriers (e.g. intervention complexity) and facilitators (e.g. prescribers’ experiences) to implement effective interventions were identified. Conclusion This study assessed intervention fidelity of trials aiming at improving appropriate polypharmacy in older adults. This was judged to be poor for each study. The number of included trials was small, and the scoring method was not validated. Future trials should consider addressing intervention fidelity comprehensively to help plan, implement and assess trials.

Influence of chronic medical conditions on older patients’ willingness to deprescribe medications: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundAging correlates with a heightened prevalence of chronic diseases, resulting in multimorbidity affecting 60% of those aged 65 or older. Multimorbidity often leads to polypharmacy, elevating the risk of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use and adverse health outcomes. To address these issues, deprescribing has emerged as a patient-centered approach that considers patients’ beliefs and attitudes toward medication and reduces inappropriate polypharmacy in older adults. Our study aims to investigate whether certain chronic medical conditions are associated with older patients’ willingness to deprescribe medications.MethodsA cross-sectional study enrolled 192 community-dwelling individuals aged 65 or older taking at least one regular medication. Data included demographics, clinical characteristics, and responses to the Portuguese revised Patients’ Attitudes Towards Deprescribing (rPATD) questionnaire. Descriptive statistics characterized participants, while multiple binary logistic regression identified associations between chronic medical conditions and willingness to deprescribe.ResultsAmong the participants (median age: 72 years, 65.6% female), 91.6% had multimorbidity. The analysis revealed that willingness to deprescribe significantly increased with the presence of gastric disease (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 4.123; 95% CI 1.221, 13.915) and age (aOR = 1.121; 95% CI 1.009, 1.246). Conversely, prostatic pathology (aOR = 0.266; 95% CI 0.077, 0.916), higher scores in the rPATD appropriateness factor (aOR = 0.384; 95% CI 0.190, 0.773), and rPATD concerns about stopping factor (aOR = 0.450; 95% CI 0.229, 0.883) diminished patients’ willingness to deprescribe.ConclusionsThis study highlights the intricate relationship between older patients’ attitudes toward deprescribing and chronic medical conditions. We found that gastric disease was associated with an increased willingness to deprescribe medications, while prostate disease was associated with the opposite effect. Future research should explore how patients with specific diseases or groups of diseases perceive deprescribing of medications general and for specific medications, aiding in the development of targeted interventions.

Prevalence and Appropriateness of Polypharmacy in Older Adults with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Despite the growing prevalence of older adults with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), polypharmacy, an important geriatric construct, is poorly understood. We described polypharmacy and its implications in older adults with IBD. In a cross sectional study of adults ≥ 60years with IBD, we obtained medication lists from the medical record and patients. We assessed medications by the Beer's criteria, anti-cholinergic burden and drug-drug interactions. We constructed multi-variate logistic regression models to assess association between polypharmacy with low quality-of-life, controlling for age, sex, IBD-type, number of comorbidities and depression. In 100 adults ≥ 60years with IBD, with a median age of 68years, 56% met criteria for remission by a validated disease activity index. Polypharmacy, defined as ≥ 5 concomitant medications, was noted in 86% of the cohort and 45% had severe polypharmacy, defined as ≥ 10 concomitant medications. In this cohort, 48% were on ≥ 1 medication that met Beer's criteria for potentially inappropriate in older adults and 24% had a cumulative anti-cholinergic drug burden score of ≥ 3, the threshold for serious adverse events attributed to anti-cholinergic burden. Serious drug-drug interactions were found in 26% with 7% involving an IBD medication. Controlling for potential confounders, polypharmacy, defined both numerically (OR 22.79, p < 0.01) and by medication appropriateness (OR 1.95, p < 0.01), was significantly associated with low quality of life. Polypharmacy is prevalent in older adults with IBD and independently associated with low quality of life. Describing polypharmacy can guide de-prescription strategies tailored to GI clinic for older adults with IBD.

Polypharmacy and Elevated Risk of Severe Adverse Events in Older Adults Based on the Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management-Korea Adverse Event Reporting System Database.

Older adults are at a higher risk of severe adverse drug events (ADEs) because of multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and lower physiological function. This study aimed to determine whether polypharmacy, defined as the use of ≥ 5 active drug ingredients, was associated with severe ADEs in this population. We used ADE reports from the Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management-Korea Adverse Event Reporting System Database, a national spontaneous ADE report system, from 2012 to 2021 to examine and compare the strength of association between polypharmacy and severe ADEs in older adults (≥ 65 years) and younger adults (20-64 years) using disproportionality analysis. We found a significant association between severe ADEs of cardiac and renal/urinary Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities System Organ Classes (MedDRA SOC) with polypharmacy in older adults. Regarding individual-level ADEs included in these MedDRA SOCs, acute cardiac arrest and renal failure were more significantly associated with polypharmacy in older adults compared with younger adults. The addition of new drugs to the regimens of older adults warrants close monitoring of renal and cardiac symptoms.

Features of Polypharmacy in Dutch Older Outpatients with Personality Disorders: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Pharmacotherapy in older adults with personality disorders (PDs) can be even more complicated compared to younger adults, because older adults stand at risk for polypharmacy and its negative consequences due to somatic comorbidities and biological age-related changes. Aims: This study’s primary objective serves to describe the point prevalence of polypharmacy in older adults with PDs. Next, we described 1) the number of psychotropics employed, 2) classes of psychotropics, 3) the number of somatic medication, and 4) the anticholinergic burden of the total medication. Methods: This cross sectional study was performed at a clinical center of excellence for older adults with PDs in the Netherlands. Fifty outpatients aged 65 years and older with a primary diagnosis of a PD were selected from an alphabetically ordered list. Data from the files on polypharmacy (use of five medications or more daily), use of medication and the anticholinergic burden (ARS score) was collected. Results: Polypharmacy was present in 72% of older adults with PDs. The mean number of psychotropics was 2.0 (SD 1.4) psychotropics per person, for somatic medication the mean was 6.2 (SD 3.6). Antidepressants were the most frequently prescribed (used by 62%), followed by anxiolytics (used by 40%). The mean ARS score was 1.1 points (SD 1.7). Conclusions: The prevalence of polypharmacy in older adults with PDs stands high, due to the high use of both psychotropics and somatic medication. Although this study provides important and new information on the use of medication in older adults, its representation of the population may be limited due to the tertiary care setting and small sample size excluding certain PDs (e.g., schizoid or obsessive-compulsive PD). Also, we did not register or measure the consequences of polypharmacy.

Polypharmacy in Older Adults: The Hazard of Hospitalization and Mortality is Mediated by Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions, Findings From the Moli-sani Study.

We evaluated the impact of polypharmacy on the health of community-dwelling older adults. We prospectively analyzed 5,631 individuals from the Moli-sani study (51% men, aged ≥65years, recruitment 2005-2010, follow-up 2005-2020). Exposure was categorized as chronic polypharmacy therapy (C-PT; ≥5 therapeutic groups and >2 defined daily doses (DDDs)) or non-chronic polypharmacy therapy (NC-PT; polypharmacy but ≤2 DDDs). Hospitalization and mortality were the main outcomes. The mediating role of potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIP) was examined. Compared to individuals not on polypharmacy, those in NC-PT and C-PT had higher hazards of mortality [21% (95% CI 7%-37%) and 30% (16%-46%), respectively] and hospitalization [39% (28%-51%) and 61% (49%-75%), respectively]. Similar results were found for cardiovascular outcomes. PIP mediated the association between polypharmacy and outcomes, with mediation effects ranging from 13.6% for mortality to 6.0% for hospitalization. Older adults without multimorbidity experienced the same harm from multiple medications as those with multimorbidity. Polypharmacy is associated with a higher hazard of mortality and hospitalization, with PIP playing an important role. Addressing "medication without harm" requires assessing the appropriateness of drug prescriptions and monitoring for adverse effects.

Multidisciplinary care of older adults in the emergency department to influence deprescribing in older adults: a cohort study

AbstractBackgroundInappropriate polypharmacy in older adults is a major health problem associated with poor clinical and health service outcomes.AimWe aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a geriatric pharmacist service in the emergency department (ED) identifying potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP).MethodBetween 1 June 2018–31 May 2019, adults ≥70 years of age presenting to ED were reviewed by the Geriatric Emergency Department Intervention (GEDI) pharmacist. The intervention consisted of pharmacist‐led medication review using Screening Tool of Older Person’s Prescriptions (STOPP) and Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment (START) criteria, patient education on recommendations, an updated medication list, and a letter sent to their general practitioner (GP) electronically. For eligible consenting older adults, telephone calls were made at least 28 days post‐discharge to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. A survey with GPs after 6 months determined how recommendations were perceived. Ethics approval was granted by the Metro North Health B Human Research Ethics Committee (reference no: HREC/18QCH/69–1245) and research governance approval was granted by the study site (Cairns Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, reference no: SSA/Q12345/40673). Informed consent was obtained from all participants via a project information sheet and either the completion of a written consent form (patient participants), verbal consent before interview (GP participants), or implied consent via email responses (GP participants). Routinely collected health data obtained for this study were de‐identified and data included in the follow‐up study was de‐identified.ResultsThe GEDI pharmacist reviewed 1214 older adults with an average age of 81 years. The median number of prescribed medications was 10 and 36.8% of older adults had STOPP recommendations. When contacted (n = 35), of those enrolled in the follow‐up study, 71% had stated their medications changed, 40% reported all STOPP medications had ceased, and 69% had START medications commenced, suggesting the recommendations provided were clinically appropriate and readily accepted by their GPs.ConclusionIntegration of a geriatric pharmacist demonstrated ample opportunities to address PIP in targeted older adults presenting to ED. This study shows that the pharmacist was able to promote appropriate prescribing through patient education and recommendations communicated to the GP on discharge.

94 Polypharmacy in older adults: the role of the advanced nurse practitioner

Abstract Background Polypharmacy is the concurrent use of five or more medications and is more prevalent in the care of Older Persons. Polypharmacy is a global issue and is linked to poor health outcomes especially in Older Persons. It is estimated that 20% of people over 65 years of age in Ireland, are prescribed at least 10 drugs repeatedly and 5% are prescribed at least 15 drugs repeatedly. Prescribing and deprescribing medication is a complex process and it can be challenging for people who are over 65 years of age It is estimated that people taking more than 10 medicines are twice as likely to develop frailty; frail cohort were twice as likely to be prescribed a potentially inappropriate medication and three times likely to be admitted to hospital. Over 10% of emergency hospital admissions in this cohort were estimated to be related to adverse drug reactions. Appropriate deprescribing will improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. Methods The Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner populated a database of all medications that were prescribed and deprescribed within the caseload over the two year period. STOPP/START tool was used for deprescribing. Results The study confirmed that Appropriate Prescribing is a person-centred intervention, which required up-to-date knowledge of the patient’s condition, review of medical notes and/or co-ordinating with Pharmacist and/or General Practitioner (GP) to obtain the full list of medication, shared decision-making, monitoring for adverse effects, monitoring laboratory values and routine follow up. Patient engagement and education was vital to achieve positive outcomes. Encouraging the use of unit dose packaging for this cohort was noted to be an effective method of medication adherence. Conclusion The study recommends regular medications reviews for patients on Polypharmacy. Future changes in the healthcare should include electronic prescribing, improved access to medical records for Primary and Secondary care to improve prescribing in Older Persons.

Polypharmacy and Medication Outcome Reporting Bias in Older Patients with COVID-19

Polypharmacy, the use of multiple and potentially inappropriate medications, is an increasing problem among older adults. The global polypharmacy prevalence is 34.6% in patients with COVID-19, and polypharmacy in COVID-19 increases with age. The present paper proposes that polypharmacy in older adults with COVID-19 and other comorbid conditions is linked to the medication outcome reporting bias of randomized controlled trials. Outcome reporting bias can occur when treatment efficacy is reported as relative risk reductions, which overestimates medication benefits and exaggerates disease/illness risk reductions compared to unreported absolute risk reductions. The comorbidities common in patients with COVID-19 include high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, dementia or cerebrovascular disease, and diabetes. Accordingly, the present paper reassesses the relative and absolute risk reductions in clinical trials from a small convenience sample of antihypertension, statin, anticoagulant, and antihyperglycemic medications. Examples demonstrate a wide gap between reported relative risk reductions and unreported absolute risk reductions in medication clinical trials. This paper concludes that medication clinical trial outcome reporting bias is an important upstream factor that contributes to biased medication benefits and poor clinical decision making, leading to polypharmacy in older adults with COVID-19 and other comorbid conditions. Public health campaigns are urgently needed to educate the public about the link between polypharmacy and medication outcome reporting bias.