[Detecting and assessing the impactof anticholinergic medications]
Chantal Csajka1,2, Catherine Brémond2, Pierre Olivier Lang3,4
1Section des sciences pharmaceutiques, Université de Genève, 1211 Genève 4 et Université de Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne.
Abstract:
Limitation of inappropriate prescribing must be a medical concern in daily practice especially in older patients. In particular, anti-cholinergic drugs (anti-ACh), which are not all explicitly classified as anti-ACh, are commonly prescribed for a wide range of indications (pulmonary obstructive diseases, anxiety, insomnia, urinary incontinence, Parkinson's disease, congestive heart failure). Their prescription is however associated with a reduced quality of life and increased morbidity and mortality. Tools detecting inappropriate prescriptions and clinical scales that quantify the anti-ACh burden contribute, despite some limitations, to secure and optimize these drugs' prescription in this vulnerable population.
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