Evaluation of the reliability of Beers criteria and medication appropriateness index in multimorbid elderly patients with polypharmacy / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate and intervene polypharmacy in multimorbid elderly patients in order to explore the application effects and reliability of Beers criteria and medication appropriateness index(MAI)and improve the safety,rationality and feasibility of drug use through the whole process of pharmaceutical directions. Methods This study included 191 patients with multimorbidity.Based on the Beers criteria and MAI,enrolled elderly patients with multimorbidity were evaluated and intervened.Moreover,based on the efficacy,safety and suitability,clinical pharmacists and geriatricians made new medication strategy,and undertook a follow up study every month after discharge.After six months,all patients were evaluated again.All data were recorded before and 6-months after intervention. Results After versus before intervention,the potentially inappropriate polypharmacy was decreased[21 cases(10.99%)vs.98 cases(51.31%),χ2 = 65.154,P< 0.05]in multimorbid elderly patients.Moreover,the MAI score was significantly decreased after the intervention(6.35 ± 5.25 to 0.75 ± 1.81,Z= - 10.549,P< 0.05). Conclusions Through the whole process of pharmaceutical directions of clinical pharmacists,the Beers Criteria- and MAI-based assessment and intervention could improve the safety,rationality and efficiency of drug therapy in multimorbid elderly patients.