Evaluation of prescription along three health-care periods in the elderly

Polypharmacy, potentially inappropriate prescriptions and inadequate coordination between prescribers are among main factors explaining the occurrence of adverse drug events in elderly patients. Methode. Prospective and descriptive study of medication prescriptions for elderly patients during a continuous period of health-care: entry in an acute geriatric unit (T1), at discharge (T2) and two months after hospitalization (T3). A global iatrogenic risk was defined: presence of poly-pharmacy and/ or PPI (Laroche criteria) and/ or absence of quality indicators for prescription according to the French health authority. Results. For the 79 patients (mean age 87), mean number of medication decreased from 7.33 (T1) to 6 (T2) (p=0.0018) and 6 (T3). Number of quality indicators for prescription improved from 6.67 (T1) to 6.92 (T2) (p=0.001) then decreased to 6.84 (T3). Number of PPI decreased from 1.16 to 0.42 between T1 and T2 (p=0.001) then increased to 0.59 at T3. The global iatrogenic risk indicator fluctuated from 80% (T1) to 64% (T2) and 75% (T3). Selected interventions were developed to prevent adverse drug events during hospitalization and ambulatory follow-up. Conclusion. If geriatric intervention can enhance quality of prescription, iatrogenic risk remains frequent all along health-care follow-up. A local study of prescriptions can be a first step to develop an adequate program for adverse drug events prevention.