ABSTRACT
Objective:To analyze drug-related problems (DRPs) of hospitalized elderly patients with limited life expectancy.Methods:A total of 261 patients aged ≥ 70 years with limited life expectancy according to the 1-year mortality prediction index, who were admitted in the geriatric ward of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2015 to December 2021 were included. According to Strand system, the categories, medications and interventions of DRPs were analyzed.Results:Among 261 patients, 187 (71.6%) had 672 DRPs. The most common DRPs were related to drug safety, including 271 (40.3%) adverse drug reactions and 149 over dosages (22.2%). A total of 207 drugs were involved in DRPs, and the top 5 classes with higher frequency of DRPs were antiinfectives for systemic use(20.7%,139/672), nervous system drugs(19.4%,130/672), alimentary tract and metabolism drugs(16.5%,111/672), cardiovascular system drugs(16.1%,108/672), and blood and hemopoietic organs drugs(13.7%,92/672). The recommendations were given by pharmacists for all 672 DRPs, and 643 were accepted by physicians (95.7%). The therapy need to be adjusted in 564 recommendations and the medications need to be monitored in 108 recommendations. In recommendations of therapy adjustment, 49.6%(280/564) were related to deprescribing. The deprescribing with higher frequency included antiinfectives for systemic use(29.6%, 83/280), lipid modifying agents(7.9%,22/280) and antithrombotic agents(7.9%,22/280). Patients with severe disability had significantly higher average DRPs(2 vs. 1) and average deprescribing(1 vs. 0) than patients without severe disability( Z=-4.83, Z=-3.61, all P<0.001). Conclusion:Drug safety is the most common DRP in limited life expectancy elderly inpatients, particularly for those with severe disability.