The updated PIM-Taiwan criteria: a list of potentially inappropriate medications in older people.

BACKGROUND: Explicit criteria for potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) developed for other countries are difficult to apply to a specific territory. This study aimed to update the PIM-Taiwan criteria from a qualitative review of several published PIM criteria, followed by consensus among regional experts in Taiwan. METHODS: After a review of the literature, we selected four sets of published PIM criteria to construct preliminary core PIMs. The Beers criteria, Fit fOR The Aged (FORTA), and Japan criteria were used for PIMs, without consideration of chronic diseases. The Beers criteria, Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions (STOPP) criteria, and Japan criteria were used for PIMs with respect to chronic diseases. We asked experts (n = 24) to rate their agreement with each statement, including in the final PIM criteria, after two rounds of modified Delphi methods. The intraclass coefficient (ICC) was used to examine the reliability of the modified Delphi method. RESULTS: Overall, two categories of PIMs were established: 131 individual drugs and 9 drugs with combinations that should generally be avoided; and 9 chronic diseases with their corresponding PIMs that have drug-disease interactions. The ICC estimates for PIMs to be avoided generally were 0.634 and 0.557 (round 1 and 2) and those for PIMs with respect to chronic diseases were 0.866 and 0.775 (round 1 and 2) of the Delphi method, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The 2018 version of PIM-Taiwan criteria was established and several modifications were made to keep the criteria updated and relevant. Clinicians can use them to reduce polypharmacy and PIMs among older patients.

[Safeguarding Medication Use Through Interprofessional Collaboration: Example of Inpatient Medication Management and Use].

The majority of patient safety incidents cited in the latest Taiwan Patient Safety Reporting System Annual Report were medication-related, with human factors and communication issues identified as the key underlying causes of these incidents. Focusing on inpatient settings, the complex yet multiprofessional-linked drug supply scheme currently in place in medical institutions in Taiwan is described, with the aim of facilitating the accessibility and appropriateness of medication use by detailing the responsibilities of each professional role. Institutional medication management and use comprise several sequential and interconnected stages, including formulary management and drug procurement, medication storage, physician prescribing, pharmacist dispensing, nurse administration, and efficacy-and-safety monitoring and reporting. The principal tasks and personnel duties at each stage are addressed. In summary, institutional drug distribution and control is an intricate process that involves multiple processes and a diverse array of professionals and administrative staff. It is imperative to actively engage the relevant parties, especially through in-service training, in order to understand their essential roles and responsibilities and to enable communication and collaboration among stakeholders in the drug distribution chain. Implementing the appropriate initiatives in a timely manner will help establish an effective and robust safe-medication-use system.

The application of updating PIM-Taiwan criteria in clinic-visiting older patients with polypharmacy.

BACKGROUND: PIM-Taiwan criteria were first established in 2010 for potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs). Currently, updating of PIM criteria is mandatory because of newly established evidence and newly developed medications. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of PIM based on country-specific PIM criteria and factors associated with PIM use by applying 2010 version and newly updating PIM-Taiwan criteria in a cohort with polypharmacy. METHODS: The baseline data of Medication Safety Review Clinic Taiwan (MSRC-Taiwan) study were used to investigate the prevalence of PIMs. Older patients (aged ⩾65 years) who were either having polypharmacy or visited ⩾3 different physicians were enrolled between August and October 2007. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regressions were used to evaluate the factors associated with PIM use. RESULTS: The prevalence of having at least one PIM was 46.1% for 2010 version and increased to 74.6% for 2018 version. The average number of PIMs generally to be avoided per patient also increased for 2018 version (0.2 versus 1.2, p < 0.0001). In contrast, the average number of PIMs considering chronic conditions per patient decreased (0.6 versus 0.3, p < 0.001). The associated chronic conditions of PIM users were distinct between 2010 and 2018 version. The major leading PIMs were benzodiazepines (BZDs) in both versions of criteria. CONCLUSIONS: As there were significant differences in medication lists between PIM-Taiwan version 2010 and 2018, the prevalence of PIM and factors associated with PIM users varied accordingly. Physicians should pay special attention before prescribing BZDs which keep being the major leading PIM.

Prescription of potentially inappropriate medication to older patients presenting to the emergency department: a nationally representative population study.

Potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) was associated with adverse clinical outcomes and higher healthcare resource utilization among older patients. In order to investigate the prevalence of PIM use based on three different sets of criteria and their associated factors among older patients in the emergency department (ED) in Taiwan. The National Health Insurance Research Database was used for this cross-sectional study. Older patients who visited the ED at least once in 2009 were enrolled. PIMs were identified based on the Beers Criteria, PIM-Taiwan criteria, and PRISCUS criteria. Average patient age was 76.7 ± 7.4 years and patients visited the ED 1.8 ± 2.1 times in 2009. The prevalence and frequency of being prescribed at least one PIM at each visit were high according to all three sets of criteria. Performance of the PIM-Taiwan criteria was only inferior to that of the Beers Criteria. The most important factor associated with PIM was the number of medications prescribed in the ED, and PIM use was associated with higher annual health resource utilization in the ED. PIM use was a significant issue and was associated with higher annual emergency care resource utilization in the ED.

Application of three different sets of explicit criteria for assessing inappropriate prescribing in older patients: a nationwide prevalence study of ambulatory care visits in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the national prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) prescribed in ambulatory care clinics in Taiwan according to three different sets of regional criteria and the correlates of PIM use. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: This analysis included older patients who visited ambulatory care clinics in 2009 and represented half of the older population included on the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database. PARTICIPANTS: We identified 1,164,701 subjects who visited ambulatory care clinics and were over 65 years old in 2009. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: PIM prevalence according to the 2012 Beers criteria, the PIM-Taiwan criteria and the PRISCUS criteria was estimated separately, and characteristics of PIM users were explored. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine patient factors associated with the use of at least one PIM. Leading PIMs for each set of criteria were also listed. RESULTS: The prevalence of having at least one PIM at the patient level was highest with the Beers criteria (86.2%), followed by the PIM-Taiwan criteria (73.3%) and the PRISCUS criteria (66.9%). Polypharmacy and younger age were associated with PIM use for all three sets of criteria. The leading PIMs detected by the PIM-Taiwan and PRISCUS criteria were all included in the 2012 Beers criteria. Non-COX-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the Beers criteria and benzodiazepines in the PIM-Taiwan and PRISCUS criteria accounted for most leading PIMs. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of PIMs was high among older Taiwanese patients receiving ambulatory care visits. The prevalence of PIM and its associated factors varied according to three sets of criteria at the population level.

Patient- and clinic visit-related factors associated with potentially inappropriate medication use among older home healthcare service recipients.

OBJECTIVES: Taiwanese National Health Insurance (TNHI) provides home healthcare services to patients with skilled nursing needs who were homebound or lived in nursing homes. Studies on potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) for older home healthcare service recipients (HHSRs) are growing, but comparisons among newer criteria of PIMs have not been applied. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and correlates of PIMs based on three different instruments published after 2010 among older HHSRs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed cross-sectional analysis of the TNHI Research Database. A total of 25,187 HHSRs aged more than 65 years in 2009 were included. Medication lists independent of chronic conditions from the 2012 Beers criteria, PIM-Taiwan criteria, and the PRISCUS (Latin for "old and venerable") criteria were used. Analysis was performed separately at patient and clinic-visit level. T-tests, chi-square analysis, and multivariate logistic regressions were used where appropriate. RESULTS: The prevalence of having at least one PIM at patient and clinic-visit level was highest with the Beers (82.67%, 36.14% respectively), followed by the PRISCUS (68.49%, 25.13%) and PIM-Taiwan (63.04%, 19.21%) criteria. At patient level, polypharmacy (odds ratio (OR) 2.53 to 4.90), higher number of clinic (OR 1.15 to 1.41), hospital (OR 1.24 to 1.64), and physician (OR 1.15 to 1.41) visits were associated with PIM use for all 3 sets of criteria. At clinic-visit level, internist/family physicians (OR 1.26 to 1.72) and neurologists/psychiatrists (OR 1.73 to 5.87) were more likely to prescribe PIMs than others. Psychotropic drugs and first generation antihistamines accounted for most of the top ten PIMs. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of PIMs was high among older Taiwanese HHSRs. Polypharmacy and certain medical specialties were associated with a higher likelihood of PIM prescriptions. Provider education and medication review and reconciliation should be considered.

Using published criteria to develop a list of potentially inappropriate medications for elderly patients in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Explicit criteria for potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) developed from other regions were often difficult to apply to a specific territory without significant modifications. PURPOSE: To describe a process of developing a country-specific explicit PIM criteria from quality review of several published PIM criteria, followed by consensus among regional experts in Taiwan. METHODS: After a review of the literature, we selected seven sets of published PIM criteria. Medications/medication classes listed in at least three of the seven sets of criteria were selected as preliminary core PIMs. We asked a group of 21 experts from various specialties to rate how appropriate they found inclusion of each medication/medication class in final PIM criteria after two rounds of modified Delphi methods. RESULTS: Table 1 of the instrument included 24 medication/medication classes to be generally avoided in older adults irrespective of co-morbidities, and Table 2 included 12 chronic conditions with six medication/medication classes that patients with these conditions should avoid. The Taiwan criteria contained only half the number of statements that were included in the Beers criteria (36 vs 68 statements) but detected nearly 70-75% as many PIMs in older patients with polypharmacy in a secondary data analysis. Features included straightforward statement arrangements, suggestions of alternatives, and clear definitions of long-acting benzodiazepine and anticholinergic drugs for Table 1 PIMs. CONCLUSION: A user-friendly instrument was developed to detect PIMs for Taiwanese older adults. Further prospective studies are needed to validate its use in clinical and research settings.