[Identifying potentially inappropriate prescriptions in patients over 65 years-old using original Beers criteria and...

To compare the detection of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) using the original Beers criteria, a global reference for evaluating prescriptions in the elderly, and their Spanish version.

Retrospective observational study LOCATION: A Primary Care area in the province of Murcia, Spain.

A total of 7,856 subjects aged 65 and over, with at least one drug prescribed in a Primary Care Area of Spain during study period.

Illnesses and treatments registered in the Primary Care computerised medical history of patients were analysed during a 12month study period (2012). The original Beers criteria and their Spanish adaptation were used to evaluate PIM, considering both sets of criteria overall, and individually.

The median age of the patients was 76.0years, with the majority females (56.6%). Patients received a median of 13 active substances and 66 medical prescriptions. The percentage of patients prescribed PIM ranged from 44.8% according to the original Beers criteria to 49.4% with the Spanish adaptation.

PIMs are frequent in our context. The original Beers criteria, if not adapted to the local drug catalogue, underestimated the frequency of PIM in the elderly population studied.