Prevalence of Potentially Inappropriate Medications Among Older People in Qom, Iran Based on STOPP Criteria and Its Association With the Health-Related Quality of Life

Objectives: Aging is associated with an increased prevalence of chronic diseases and multidrug therapy, which increases the risk of drug side effects and changes in quality of life. With the increase of the world’s aging proportion, the quality and safety of prescribing drugs has become a global health concern. This study aims to determine the prevalence of Potentially Inappropriate Medications (PIMs) in the elderly in Qom, Iran according to STOPP (Screening Tool of Older Persons’ Prescriptions) criteria and its association with their Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL). Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study, participants were 783 older patients hospitalized in internal and surgical wards of selected hospitals affiliated to Qom University of Medical Sciences who were selected using a convenience sampling method. The instruments were a demographic/ health information form, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), STOPP version 2, and the 15 D HRQOL questionnaire. The data were analyzed in SPSS v. 20 software using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. Results: The Mean±SD number of medications used by the elderly was 7.21±3.16, and 79.57% of patients had multidrug use. The CCI score of 29.9% was 4. The prevalence of PIM was 46.10% and the most common category of PIM were Drugs that adversely affect those prone to falls (13.79%), Duplicate Drug Class (12.39%), Central Nervous System and Psychotropics (5.36%). The Mean±SD score of HRQOL was 0.85± 0.12. Logistic regression analysis results showed that HRQOL (95%CI: 0.030-0.307, OR= 0.096), multidrug use (95%CI: 4.780-14.966, OR=8.46), and CCI (95%CI: 1.36-3.17, OR=2.079) had significant association with PIM use by the elderly (P<0.001). Conclusion: The use of PIM is a common health problem among the elderly and is associated with HRQOL, multidrug use, and CCI. Nurses should evaluate the elderly’s medication regimen to identify PIMs.