• D А Sychev, K S Danilina, and О V Golovina.
• Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapy, Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Ministry of Health of Russia, Moscow, Russia.
• Terapevt Arkh. 2015 Jan 1; 87 (1): 27-30.

AimTo analyze the frequency of potentially inappropriate medication use according to the Beers' criteria in elderly people at the therapy departments of a hospital.Subjects And MethodsCase histories of 150 patients over 65 years of age (47 men and 103 women at the age of 79.0 ± 15.5 years) treated at the therapy department of a multidisciplinary hospital were analyzed to estimate the frequency of potentially inappropriate medication use in elderly people according to the Beers' criteria in the 4-month period: from March to June 2013. Each treatment sheet was checked against the so-called Beers' list (supported by the American Geriatric Associated in 2012) to reveal the use of potentially inappropriate medications.ResultsAn average of 6.4 ± 4.0 drugs was simultaneously used in the patients. In 61 (40.67%) patients, the treatment sheets showed 78 potentially inappropriate medications that should be avoided by the elderly. Twenty-one (14%) patients were noted to use 24 potentially inappropriate drugs that should be avoided by elderly patients with definite diseases and syndromes. Fifty (33.3%) patients were observed to have taken the drugs that should be used with great caution.ConclusionThe findings suggest that the elderly patients frequently receive potentially inappropriate medications; as a result their benefits can be overweighed by the risk.

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