Anticholinergic toxicity, polypharmacy, and inappropriate prescribing

Effect of polypharmacy, potentially inappropriate medications and anticholinergic burden on clinical outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND Polypharmacy, potentially inappropriate medications and anticholinergic burden (as assessed by the anticholinergic risk scale) are commonly used as quality indicators of pharmacotherapy in older adults. However, their role in clinical practice is undefined. We sought to investigate longitudinal changes in these indicators and their effects on clinical outcomes. METHODS We used Taiw...

Inappropriate drug prescribing and polypharmacy are major causes of poor outcomes in long-term care.

56 Previously in your Journal, we have stressed the problems associated with medications in long-term care.1e12 In this issue, we have 6 further articles stressing the problems of inappropriate prescribing and providing some solutions to control medication usage in the nursing home.13e18 Inappropriate medications are a major reason for readmission to hospital from long-term care.19e30 This is s...

‘Potentially inappropriate or specifically appropriate?’ Qualitative evaluation of general practitioners views on prescribing, polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate prescribing in older people

BACKGROUND Potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) is common in older people in primary care, as evidenced by a significant body of quantitative research. However, relatively few qualitative studies have investigated the phenomenon of PIP and its underlying processes from the perspective of general practitioners (GPs). The aim of this paper is to explore qualitatively, GP perspectives regar...

Reducing inappropriate polypharmacy: the process of deprescribing.

Inappropriate polypharmacy, especially in older people, imposes a substantial burden of adverse drug events, ill health, disability, hospitalization, and even death. The single most important predictor of inappropriate prescribing and risk of adverse drug events in older patients is the number of prescribed drugs. Deprescribing is the process of tapering or stopping drugs, aimed at minimizing p...

antibiotic and interventions to reduce inappropriate prescribing