Inappropriate Prescribing in the Elderly

Multicenter Observational Study on the Prevalence of Inappropriate Prescribing in Elderly Patients At Admission and Discharge from a Hospital Ward Using the STOPP/START Criteria

The management of pharmacotherapy in elderly patients is an increasingly critical aspect, as polypharmacy, combined with the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes typical of aging, makes older adults more sensitive to the development of adverse reactions. This highlights the importance of appropriate use of pharmacotherapy that considers the risks and benefits of individual treatments. The aim of this study is to measure the prevalence of pharmacological appropriateness using the STOPP/START criteria (version 2) at admission and discharge from an acute geriatric ward, thereby evaluating the impact of hospitalization on medication prescribing.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients aged ≥ 70 years admitted to a geriatric ward
• Regardless of ethnicity, gender, or type of illness
• Patients transferred from another ward
• Patients admitted to another ward for support

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients in the terminal phase (<6 months life expectancy)

Criteria for exit from the study (Dropout):

• Patients transferred to another hospital ward
• Patients who have deceased