Evaluation of Drug-Related Problems and Clinical Outcomes in Elderly Patients with Polypharmacy in Tertiary Care Settings
Keywords:
Polypharmacy, Drug-Related Problems, Elderly, Clinical Outcomes, Tertiary Care, Adverse Drug ReactionsAbstract
Polypharmacy among the elderly is increasingly prevalent, particularly in tertiary care hospitals where complex comorbidities demand multidrug regimens. This study evaluates the nature and prevalence of drug-related problems (DRPs), explores their impact on clinical outcomes, and examines mitigation strategies. A retrospective data review, supported by literature before 2019, shows a high incidence of adverse drug reactions, medication non-adherence, and hospital readmissions associated with polypharmacy.
References
[1] Viktil, K. K., et al. "Drug-related problems in hospitalised patients: a prospective observational study." Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, vol. 16, no. 7, 2007, pp. 763–769.
[2] Maher, R. L., et al. "Clinical consequences of polypharmacy in elderly." Expert Opinion on Drug Safety, vol. 13, no. 1, 2014, pp. 57–65.
[3] Spinewine, A., et al. "Effect of a collaborative approach on the quality of prescribing for geriatric inpatients: a randomized, controlled trial." Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol. 55, no. 5, 2006, pp. 658–665.
[4] Nobili, A., et al. "Polypharmacy, drug–drug interactions, and potentially inappropriate medications in the elderly: an Italian study." Drugs & Aging, vol. 28, no. 7, 2011, pp. 509–517.
[5] Gallagher, P., et al. "STOPP (Screening Tool of Older Person’s Prescriptions) and START (Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment)." Age and Ageing, vol. 37, no. 6, 2008, pp. 673–679.
[6] Hajjar, E. R., et al. "Polypharmacy in elderly patients." American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy, vol. 5, no. 4, 2007, pp. 345–351.
[7] Onder, G., et al. "High prevalence of inappropriate prescribing in elderly patients." Drugs & Aging, vol. 22, no. 11, 2005, pp. 877–882.
[8] Leendertse, A. J., et al. "The relationship between medication-related hospital admissions and potentially inappropriate medication use." Archives of Internal Medicine, vol. 168, no. 17, 2008, pp. 1890–1896.
[9] Fick, D. M., et al. "Updating the Beers Criteria for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults." Archives of Internal Medicine, vol. 163, no. 22, 2003, pp. 2716–2724.
[10] Hanlon, J. T., et al. "Inappropriate medication use among frail elderly persons." Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, vol. 55, no. 9, 2002, pp. 857–862.
[11] Field, T. S., et al. "Adverse drug events resulting from patient errors in older adults." Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol. 55, no. 2, 2007, pp. 271–276.
[12] Buurma, H., et al. "Frequency, nature and determinants of drug therapy problems in community pharmacy." Pharmacy World and Science, vol. 30, no. 3, 2008, pp. 227–234.
[13] Tjia, J., et al. "Inappropriate prescribing in the hospitalized elderly patient." Drugs & Aging, vol. 27, no. 10, 2010, pp. 833–840.
