General practitioners' prescribing patterns for the elderly in a province of Iran

Drug-Drug Interactions in Elderly Patients with Potentially Inappropriate Medications in Primary Care, Nursing Home and Hospital Settings: A Systematic Review and a Preliminary Study

Drug–drug interactions (DDI) occurring with potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) are additional risk factors that may increase the inappropriate character of PIM. The aim of this study was (1) to describe the prevalence and severity of DDI in patients with PIM and (2) to evaluate the DDI specifically regarding PIM. This systematic review is based on a search carried out on PubMed and Web-of-Science from inception to June 30, 2020. We extracted data of original studies that assessed the prevalence of both DDI and PIM in elderly patients in primary care, nursing home and hospital settings. Four hundred and forty unique studies were identified: 91 were included in the qualitative analysis and 66 were included in the quantitative analysis. The prevalence of PIM in primary care, nursing home and hospital were 19.1% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 15.1–23.0%), 29.7% (95% CI: 27.8–31.6%) and 44.6% (95% CI: 28.3–60.9%), respectively. Clinically significant severe risk-rated DDI averaged 28.9% (95% CI: 17.2–40.6), in a hospital setting; and were approximately 7-to-9 lower in primary care and nursing home, respectively. Surprisingly, only four of these studies investigated DDI involving specifically PIM. Hence, given the high prevalence of severe DDI in patients with PIM, further investigations should be carried out on DDI involving specifically PIM which may increase their inappropriate character, and the risk of adverse drug reactions.

Antibiotic prescribing in inpatient and outpatient settings in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis study

Background

Antibiotic prescribing is common worldwide. There are several original studies about antibiotic prescribing in the healthcare setting of Iran reporting different levels of prescribing. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the prevalence of antibiotic prescribing in both inpatient and outpatient settings in Iran, an example of a developing country.

Methods

To identify published studies on antibiotic prescribing, databases such as ISI, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Electronic Persian were searched in Iran till January 2020. Eligible studies were those analyzing original data on the prescription and use of antibiotics in outpatient or inpatient settings in Iran. Moreover, all studies that used an intervention to improve antibiotic prescribing were included. The quality of the included studies was assessed using self-administered quality assessment criteria. The meta-analysis of prevalence of antibiotic prescribing was conducted based on the meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology guidelines. To calculate pooled rates, the random-effects model was used.

Results

A total of 54 studies (39 outpatients and 15 inpatients) were included in this study. The median of antibiotic prescribing in the outpatient and inpatient settings accounted for 45.25% and 68.2% of patients, respectively. The results of meta-analysis also showed that the antibiotic prescribing accounted for 45% of prescriptions in outpatient settings and 39.5%, 66%, and 75.3% of patients in all wards, pediatrics wards, and ICU wards of inpatient settings, respectively. The most commonly prescribed antibiotic classes in outpatient settings were penicillins, cephalosporins, and macrolides, while in inpatient settings, these were cephalosporins, penicillins, and carbapenems. There were seven studies using interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing pattern. It should be mentioned that intervention in a study had a statistically significant effect on improving antibiotic prescribing (p < .05).

Conclusion

Prevalence of antibiotic prescribing in Iran is high. Our findings highlight the need for urgent action to improve prescription practices. It seems that developing a national plan to improve antibiotic prescribing is necessary.

Medical Overuse in the Iranian Healthcare System: A Systematic Scoping Review and Practical Recommendations for Decreasing Medical Overuse During Unexpected COVID-19 Pandemic Opportunity

Purpose

To perform an inclusive search for original studies that report medical overuse in the Iranian healthcare system and discovering the area of overuse.

Patients and Methods

A systematic search of the literature is conducted in bibliographic databases including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Sciences, Cochrane and Scientific Information Database using a comprehensive search strategy without time limit until the end of 2018, updated by 1 July 2020, accomplished by reference tracking, author contacting and expert consultation to identify studies on the overuse of medical care.

Results

We reviewed 4124 published articles based on predetermined inclusion criteria. The author’s consensus included a total of 41 articles. Of these, 32 were in English and 9 in Farsi, published between 1975–2019. The result categorized into two distinct clinical areas: treatment (18 articles) and diagnostic (23 articles) services. Almost all of the studies only described the magnitude of unnecessary overuse. Unnecessary overuse of antibiotics, MRI, and CT-scan were the most reported topics. The ranges of their overuse proportion were as follows: antibiotic (31 to 97%); MRI (33 to 88%), and CT-scan (19 to 50%).

Conclusion

Our review showed, even so, the magnitude of unnecessary overuse of medical services is high but there are only a few interventional studies in clinical and administrative level for finding effective methods for decreasing these unnecessary services. Researchers should be encouraged to conducting interventional studies. We suggest the ministry of health to use the golden opportunity of COVID-19 epidemic for designing Iran national policy and action plan for controlling and preventing unnecessary healthcare services and including a section for “Interventional Research” in the action plan.

Prescribing for geriatrics in Tehran; is it appropriate and rational?

Background: The world’s population is growing older. Inappropriate and irrational use of drugs in the elderly is a considerable health concern due to consequences such as increased morbidity and adverse drug events. This study aimed to evaluate the rationality of prescribing and determining the extent of inappropriate prescribing in a sample of geriatric patients in Tehran.

Methods: This cross sectional study was performed on 1512 prescriptions of patients aged ≥ 65 years from 5 pharmacies affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2014. Prescription of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) was investigated using the Beers Criteria along with WHO prescribing indices. Date were analyzed using SPSS software, and significance level was set at less than 0.05.

Results: Mean (SD) age of patients was 73.9(6.7) years. A total of 472 (31.2%) patients received at least 1 PIM. Benzodiazepines were the most frequent drug class and general practitioners (GPs) were the most frequent prescriber of PIMs. The highest and the lowest percentage of prescriptions containing brand-names were prescribed by subspecialists (62.5%) and GPs (42.2%), respectively. Antibiotics and injectable medications were prescribed for 26.8% and 28.5% of patients by GPs. Mean (SD) number of drugs per prescription was 3.57 (1.92). Prescriptions containing systemic antibiotics and PIMs had significantly higher mean number of drugs compared to those without these items (both P < 0.001).

Conclusion: There is a need for interventions to improve the quality of prescribing for elderly patients, especially by GPs. Also, there are still some problems in rational use of drugs based on prescribing indices, especially, prescribing brand-names and injectable medications.

Inappropriate prescribing defined by STOPP and START criteria and its association with adverse drug events among hospitalized older patients: A multicentre, prospective study

Objectives

To provide baseline information on inappropriate prescribing (IP), and to evaluate whether potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), as defined by STOPP (Screening Tool of Older Persons' potentially inappropriate Prescriptions) criteria, were associated with preventable adverse drug events (ADEs) and/or hospitalization.

Methods

We prospectively studied older patients (n = 301) admitted to three urban, public-funded hospitals. We scrutinized their medical records and used STOPP-START (Screening Tool to Alert Prescribers to Right Treatment) criteria to determine PIM and potential prescribing omissions (PPO) respectively- together these constitute IP. Prescriptions with PIM(s) were subjected to a pharmacist medication review, aimed at detecting cases of ADE(s). The vetted cases were further assessed by an expert consensus panel to ascertain: i) causality between the ADE and hospitalization, using, the World Health Organization Uppsala Monitoring Centre criteria, and, ii) whether the ADEs were avoidable (using Hallas criteria). Finally, percentages of PIM-associated ADEs that were both preventable and linked to hospitalization were calculated.

Results

IP prevalence was 58.5% (n = 176). A majority (49.5%, n = 150) had moderate to severe degree of comorbidities (Charlson Comorbidity Index score ≥ 3). Median age was 72 years. Median number of medications was 6 and 30.9% (n = 93) had ≥8 medications. PIM prevalence was 34.9% (117 PIMs, n = 105) and PPO 37.9% (191 PPOs, n = 114). Most PIMs and PPOs involved overuse of aspirin and underuse of both antiplatelets and statins respectively. With every increase in the number of medications prescribed, the likelihood of PIM occurrence increased by 20%, i.e.1.2 fold (OR 1.20, 95% CI: 1.1–1.3). Among the 105 patients with PIMs, 33 ADEs (n = 33); 31 ADEs (n = 31) considered “causal” or “contributory” to hospitalization; 27 ADEs (n = 27) deemed “avoidable” or “potentially avoidable”; and 25 PIM-associated ADEs, preventable, and that induced hospitalization (n = 25), were identified: these equated to prevalence of 31.4%, 29.5%, 25.7%, and 23.8% respectively. The most common ADEs were masked hypoglycemia and gastrointestinal bleed. With every additional PIM prescribed, the odds for ADE occurrence increased by 12 folds (OR 11.8, 95% CI 5.20–25.3).

Conclusion

The majority of the older patients who were admitted to secondary care for acute illnesses were potentially exposed to IP. Approximately a quarter of the patients were prescribed with PIMs, which were plausibly linked with preventable ADEs that directly caused or contributed to hospitalization.

A prevalence study of potentially inappropriate medications use in hospitalized Pakistani elderly

BACKGROUND

Inappropriate prescribing in elderly patients is a widespread health problem. It is associated with increased drug-related problems and health expenditure.

AIMS

To determine the prevalence and types of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) prescribed to elderly patients with polypharmacy and the factors associated with their use in these patients.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study conducted among 228 elderly hospitalized patients with polypharmacy. Elderly patients were defined as patients ≥65 years of age, and polypharmacy was defined as taking ≥5 drugs. Based on previously published criteria (Beers and STOPP), a list of 32 PIM was developed using a Delphi technique, which was used as a tool to detect the prevalence of PIM. Age, gender, comorbidity, patients' functional status, and complete medication history were recorded to evaluate as variables related to PIM. The association between PIM used and independent variables was also assessed.

RESULTS

The prevalence of PIM used among the hospitalized elderly patients was 64%. PIM use according to STOPP criteria was identified in 44% of patients, whereas Beers-listed PIM were identified in 50% of patients. The most frequently observed PIM were the combination of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with antihypertensives and long-term NSAIDs, which account for more than 90 and 75% of the total observed PIM, respectively. Patients with age ≥85 years were more likely to be prescribed PIM. High comorbidity was found to be an independent predictor of PIM use. Polypharmacy with ≥10 drugs prescribed to patients predicted the presence of PIM.

DISCUSSION

The study showed a high prevalence of PIM use among hospitalized elderly patients. The consensus-validated list of PIM was a useful tool for screening inappropriate prescribing in this particular patient population.

CONCLUSION

Our findings support the need for measures to improve the quality of drug treatment in the elderly Pakistani population, especially among dependent patients with polypharmacy.

[Consumption of drugs in over 65 in Porto (Portugal) and risk of potentially inappropriate medication prescribing]

OBJECTIVE

To determine medication consumption in the older people from a central area of Oporto; determine the prevalence of prescription of Potentially Inappropriate Medication and to analyse the polypharmacy and other important connected factors.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PATIENTS

Cross-sectional study with a sample of 747 patients older than 64 years, who were attended in a Primary care health centre: USF Rainha D. Amélia, Oporto, Portugal.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

identification of all medication prescribed from electronic registers. Polypharmacy was considered more than 5 medication prescribed and Potential Inappropriate Medication was identified by Beers criteria 2012. The socio-demographic factors, diagnosis and health care services use were registered too. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between co-variables.

RESULTS

There were 89.2% (95%CI: 87.6-92.0) of the studied population with at least one prescription. The polypharmacy was present at 59.2% (95%CI: 55.7-62.7) of people. The Potential Inappropriate Medication was present in 37.0% (95%CI: 33.5-40.5) of the cases. The Potential Inappropriate Medication was related with increasing age [OR=1.02 (95%CI: 1.00-1.05)], polypharmacy [OR=4.45 (95%CI: 3.12-6.36)], and be diagnosed with depression/anxiety [OR=2.18 (95%CI: 1.36-3.51)] and/or arthrosis [OR=1.64 (95%CI: 1.11-2.42)].

CONCLUSION

The rate of medication prescription, polypharmacy and the prescription of Potentially Inappropriate Medication are very high in Portuguese population studied. The polypharmacy is the most important factor related with this potential inappropriate medication. The physician need to have carefully with prescription of the anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory pain drugs.

How do physicians and trainers experience outcome-based education in "Rational prescribing"?

Background

Continuing medical education (CME) is compulsory in Iran, but has shown limitations in terms of educational style and format. Outcome-based education (OBE) has been proposed internationally to create links to physicians’ actual practices. We designed an outcome-based educational intervention for general physicians in primary care (GPs). Positive outcomes on GPs’ knowledge, skills and performance in the field of rational prescribing were found and have been reported.

The specific purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of the GPs and trainers, who participated in the outcome-based education on rational prescribing.

Methods

All nine trainers in the educational programme and 12 general physicians (out of 58) were invited to individual interviews four months after participation in the CME program. Semi-structured open-ended interviews were carried out. Qualitative content analysis was used to explore the text and to interpret meaning and intention.

Results

There was a widespread agreement that the programme improved the participants’ knowledge and skills to a higher extent than previously attended programmes. Trainers emphasized the effect of outcome-based education on their educational planning, teaching and assessment methods, while the general physicians’ challenges were how to adapt their learning in the real work environment considering social and economical barriers. Self-described attitudes and reported practice changed towards more rational prescribing.

Conclusions

Outcome-based CME seems attractive and additionally useful for general physicians in Iran and could be an effective approach when creating CME programmes to improve general physicians’ performance. Similar approaches could be considered in other contexts both regionally and globally.

Drug-drug interactions in inpatient and outpatient settings in Iran: a systematic review of the literature

Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) are an important type of adverse drug events. Yet overall incidence and pattern of DDIs in Iran has not been well documented and little information is available about the strategies that have been used for their prevention. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature on the incidence and pattern of DDIs in Iran as well as the used strategies for their prevention. PubMed, Scopus, electronic Persian databases, and Google Scholar were searched to identify published studies on DDIs in Iran. Additionally, the reference lists of all retrieved articles were reviewed to identify additional relevant articles. Eligible studies were those that analyzed original data on the incidence of DDIs in inpatient or outpatient settings in Iran. Articles about one specific DDI and drug interactions with herbs, diseases, and nutrients were excluded. The quality of included studies was assessed using quality assessment criteria. Database searches yielded 1053 potentially eligible citations. After removing duplicates, screening titles and abstracts, and reading full texts, 34 articles were found to be relevant. The quality assessment of the included studies showed a relatively poor quality. In terms of study setting, 18 and 16 studies have been conducted in inpatient and outpatient settings, respectively. All studies focused on potential DDIs while no study assessed actual DDIs. The median incidence of potential DDIs in outpatient settings was 8.5% per prescription while it was 19.2% in inpatient settings. The most indicated factor influencing DDIs incidence was patient age. The most involved drug classes in DDIs were beta blockers, angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), diuretic agents, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Thirty-one studies were observational and three were experimental in which the strategies to reduce DDIs were applied. Although almost all studies concluded that the incidence of potential DDIs in Iran in both inpatient and outpatient settings was relatively high, there is still no evidence of the incidence of actual DDIs. More extensive research is needed to identify and minimize factors associated with incidence of DDIs, and to evaluate the effects of preventive interventions especially those that utilize information technology.

Inappropriateness of medication prescriptions to elderly patients in the primary care setting: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Inappropriate medication prescription is a common cause of preventable adverse drug events among elderly persons in the primary care setting.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review is to quantify the extent of inappropriate prescription to elderly persons in the primary care setting.

METHODS

We systematically searched Ovid-Medline and Ovid-EMBASE from 1950 and 1980 respectively to March 2012. Two independent reviewers screened and selected primary studies published in English that measured (in)appropriate medication prescription among elderly persons (>65 years) in the primary care setting. We extracted data sources, instruments for assessing medication prescription appropriateness, and the rate of inappropriate medication prescriptions. We grouped the reported individual medications according to the Anatomical Therapeutic and Chemical (ATC) classification and compared the median rate of inappropriate medication prescription and its range within each therapeutic class.

RESULTS

We included 19 studies, 14 of which used the Beers criteria as the instrument for assessing appropriateness of prescriptions. The median rate of inappropriate medication prescriptions (IMP) was 20.5% [IQR 18.1 to 25.6%.]. Medications with largest median rate of inappropriate medication prescriptions were propoxyphene 4.52 (0.10-23.30)%, doxazosin 3.96 (0.32 15.70)%, diphenhydramine 3.30 (0.02-4.40)% and amitriptiline 3.20 (0.05-20.5)% in a decreasing order of IMP rate. Available studies described unequal sets of medications and different measurement tools to estimate the overall prevalence of inappropriate prescription.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately one in five prescriptions to elderly persons in primary care is inappropropriate despite the attention that has been directed to quality of prescription. Diphenhydramine and amitriptiline are the most common inappropriately prescribed medications with high risk adverse events while propoxyphene and doxazoxin are the most commonly prescribed medications with low risk adverse events. These medications are good candidates for being targeted for improvement e.g. by computerized clinical decision support.

Institutionalization as a risk factor for inappropriate drug use in the elderly: a Swedish nationwide register-based study

BACKGROUND

Few studies have investigated institutionalization as a potential risk factor for potentially inappropriate drug use (PIDU). Sweden now has unique possibilities for comparisons of drug use in large populations of institutionalized and home-dwelling elderly through linkage of the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register (SPDR) with the Swedish Social Services Register.

OBJECTIVE

To compare PIDU in institutionalized versus home-dwelling elderly persons in Sweden.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study of 1,260,843 home-dwelling and 86,721 institutionalized elderly individuals. We analyzed data on age, sex, and dispensed drugs for individuals aged 65 years or older registered in the SPDR from July to September 2008. Data on type of housing were retrieved from the Social Services Register. The main outcome measures of PIDU were use of anticholinergic drugs, long-acting benzodiazepines, concurrent use of 3 or more psychotropics, and potentially serious drug-drug interactions (DDIs).

RESULTS

Thirty percent of the institutionalized and 12% of the home-dwelling elderly were exposed to PIDU. Living in an institution was strongly associated with overall PIDU (OR 2.36; 95% CI 2.29 to 2.44), use of anticholinergic drugs (OR 2.58; 95% CI 2.48 to 2.68), long-acting benzodiazepines (OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.41 to 1.60), and concurrent use of 3 or more psychotropics (OR 7.26; 95% CI 6.96 to 7.59), after controlling for age, sex, and number of drugs (used as proxy for comorbidity). However, institutionalization was associated with a lower probability of potentially serious DDIs (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.55 to 0.65).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that institutionalization is a potential risk factor for PIDU. This implies that more cautious prescribing is warranted in institutions, where the frailest and most vulnerable elderly individuals reside. Research is needed to identify underlying risk factors for PIDU within these settings.