OBJECTIVE To derive and apply objective criteria which assess the appropriateness of neuroleptic prescribing, in a random sample of nursing homes. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey of prescribing in a random sample of nursing homes. SETTING 22 homes with more than 35 residents in the former South Thames Region. SUBJECTS 934 nursing home residents aged 65 years or over. METHODS We compared c...

Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) are areas of growing importance and concern. Optimising drug prescribing in older people is challenging and complex at,the individual GP level. At a national level it is an important public health issue for the care and management of the ageing Irish population. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of PIP in Livingheal...

BACKGROUND Inappropriate prescribing has been estimated to be as high as 40% in long-term care. The purpose of this study was to develop a computer program that identifies potentially inappropriate drug prescriptions and to test its reliability. METHODS Potentially inappropriate prescriptions were identified based on modified McLeod guidelines. A database from one pharmacy servicing long-term...

BACKGROUND Little is known about prescribing appropriateness for community-dwelling people with dementia (PWD). OBJECTIVE To estimate potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) prevalence among PWD in primary care in Northern Ireland, and to investigate associations between PIP, polypharmacy, age, and gender. METHODS A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted, using data from the ...

INTRODUCTION Adverse drug events (ADEs) are associated with inappropriate prescribing (IP) and result in increased morbidity, mortality and resource utilisation. We used Beers' Criteria to determine the three-month prevalence of IP in a non-selected community-dwelling population of acutely ill older people requiring hospitalisation. METHODS A prospective, observational study of 597 consecutiv...