[Frailty and pharmacotherapy]

Older adults with frailty show an increased vulnerability to suffer negative health events, e.g., in the context of adverse drug reactions. Owing to the complex clinical needs of this population, older adults with frailty should receive a focused medication management. The consensus principles for clinical practice developed by the Optimizing Geriatric Pharmacotherapy through Pharmacoepidemiology Network may offer guidance in this respect. These principles emphasize the importance of consolidated medication lists, of considering the individual's medication management capacity, and of appropriate prescribing practices. Numerous medications may adversely affect several geriatric syndromes. To date, the body of evidence with regard to the pharmacotherapy of frail individuals is still limited. In recent years, there have been increasing efforts to retrospectively identify older adults with frailty in randomized controlled trials, e.g., by applying the frailty index according to Rockwood. The analysis of routine healthcare data offers an additional approach to generate evidence on pharmacotherapy in frail older individuals.