Interpretation of the Screening Tool of Older Person's Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions/Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment (STOPP/START) Criteria (Version 3)

Abstract

The Screening Tool of Older Person's Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) and the Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment (START) were initially developed by a panel of experts from Cork University Hospital, Ireland in 2008, and underwent a second update in 2015. Since their inception, these criteria have played a pivotal role in identifying potentially inappropriate medication use in the elderly, enhancing oversight of medication misuse in older individuals, and reducing adverse drug events among the elderly. In 2023, the third edition of the STOPP/START criteria was released, providing updated and more practical evidence-based guidance. Building upon the second edition, this iteration includes the addition, revision, and removal of certain criteria, resulting in a total of 190 new standards for potentially inappropriate medication use. This latest version incorporates the most recent research findings and clinical evidence related to appropriate medication use in older adults. We provide a detailed analysis of the STOPP/START criteria (version 3), offering valuable insights for the updating and refinement of potentially inappropriate medication criteria in our country. Furthermore, it presents recommendations for future research in this field.

Keywords

• potentially inappropriate medications|screening tool of older person's potentially inappropriate prescriptions|stopp/start criteria|aged|polypharmacy|beers criteria