International Journal of General Medicine (Jun 2024)

The Prevalence of Prescribing Inappropriate Medications Among Older Adults in Saudi Arabia with Dementia Based on Beers Criteria: A Retrospective Study

  • Alhubaishi AA,
  • Alkhaldi SO,
  • Abanumay AJK,
  • Alzaidy SM,
  • Alqahtani AM,
  • Badawoud AM,
  • Ali AS,
  • Almoharb HF,
  • Alsharekh LM,
  • Alshehri GH

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 17
pp. 2801 – 2808

Abstract

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Alaa A Alhubaishi,1 Shahad O Alkhaldi,2 Al-Jawhara K Abanumay,2 Sadeem M Alzaidy,2 Abdulhadi M Alqahtani,3 Amal M Badawoud,1 Abdulrahman S Ali,4 Haya F Almoharb,5 Lolwa M Alsharekh,5 Ghadah H Alshehri1 1Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2PharmD Candidate, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3Clinical Research Department, Research Center, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 4National Neuroscience Institute, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Pharmacy, Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Ghadah H Alshehri, Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966118239314, Email [email protected]: Dementia is a common neurogenerative disease among older adults. Therefore, they are more prone to potentially inappropriate medication (PIM), which is medication that causes more harm rather than protecting the health of an individual. Hence, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) has recognized the risk of certain medication classes on this population and released PIM according to Beers criteria, which is a helpful guide for clinicians to ensure the safety of medication before it is prescribed. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of PIM use among older adults with dementia as a risk factor in comparison to other older adults without dementia.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in an outpatient setting in a tertiary hospital targeting elderly patients aged 65 years old or over from January 2020 to September 2022. A total of 598 patients were screened, and 270 patients met the inclusion criteria. The eligible patients were then divided into two groups: 168 were in a non-dementia group and 102 were in a dementia group.Results: PIM use was reported in patients with and without dementia. The most inappropriate medication that was prescribed comprised atypical antipsychotics PIM for both patients with and without dementia. However, the prevalence was higher in the dementia group for quetiapine (75% vs 24% respectively), olanzapine (82% vs 17% respectively) or risperidone (92% vs 7%, respectively). Anticholinergics were highly prescribed in older adult without dementia as compared to dementia patient and was statistically significant for solifenacin (96% vs.3.6% respectively) and amitriptyline (88% vs 11% respectively).Conclusion: Among elderly patients in outpatient care settings, the prevalence of PIM use is considered high in dementia patients for antipsychotics, while a higher use of benzodiazepine and anticholinergics was found in non-dementia patients.Keywords: beers criteria, potentially inappropriate medication, dementia, older adults, Saudi Arabia

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