Geriatric prescription analysis with respect to “STOPP” and “START” criteria: a descriptive study in the Indian scenario

Mangala B. Murthy; Krishna Jagtap; Shreyas R. Burute; Sunita J. Ramanand; Shraddha M. Pore; Praveenkumar T. Patil

doi:10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20175209

Authors

Mangala B. Murthy Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Pandharpur road, Miraj, Maharashtra, India
Krishna Jagtap Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Pandharpur road, Miraj, Maharashtra, India
Shreyas R. Burute Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Pandharpur road, Miraj, Maharashtra, India
Sunita J. Ramanand Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Pandharpur road, Miraj, Maharashtra, India
Shraddha M. Pore Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Pandharpur road, Miraj, Maharashtra, India
Praveenkumar T. Patil Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Pandharpur road, Miraj, Maharashtra, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20175209

Keywords:

Polypharmacy, START criteria, STOPP criteria

Abstract

Background: Patients; sixty-five years of age and above, are a special risk group as far as drug prescribing is concerned. Prescription irregularities in such patients may be hazardous. STOPP/START criteria are considered as the most up to-date set of explicit criteria for evaluating geriatric prescriptions. To analyse geriatric prescriptions in a tertiary care centre with respect to STOPP/START criteria and WHO core drug prescribing indicators so as to get an idea of pattern of drug prescription in geriatric patients as well as frequency of potentially inappropriate prescriptions. Descriptive cross-sectional study in a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: All inpatients aged 65 years and above who were prescribed at least one allopathic medication and consented to participate in the study were included and patients admitted for medical emergencies were excluded. Demographic data and details of drugs prescribed were collected from prescription chits and indoor case papers.

Results: There was a high frequency of polypharmacy, prescription of antimicrobials and injections. Proportion of patients receiving at least one potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) as per STOPP criteria was 21.01%. Proportion of patients subjected to at least one potential prescribing omission (PPO) as per START criteria was 33.33%. Proportion of patients exposed to potentially inappropriate drug prescriptions as a whole (PIPs=PIMs+PPOs) was 46.37%. Statistical analysis used as descriptive statistics like numbers and percentages were used for data analysis.

Conclusions: With regards to geriatric prescribing, adherence to WHO core prescribing indicators, prescription of drugs as per STOPP and START guidelines are indicative of scope for improvement.

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