Guidelines for Inappropriate Drug Use in the Elderly

Canan ULUOĞLUa , Muhammed Cihan GÜVELa

aGazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Pharmacology, Ankara, Türkiye

ABSTRACT
Aging is a chronic process characterized by increasing physiological deterioration. During this phase of life, both the increased prevalence of polypharmacy and the differences observed in drug effects due to physiological/metabolic changes and comorbidities enhance the risk of adverse drug reactions. The concept of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) has been developed to prevent these negative outcomes in the elderly. Researchers have established various lists and criteria to identify PIMs. These include explicit criteria like Beers and STOPP/START, implicit criteria like FORTA, and specific criteria developed to address national requirements like NORGEP and TIME. In this review, the concept of PIMs and the criteria lists developed to prevent inappropriate drug prescribing are examined.
Keywords: Potentially inappropriate medication list; geriatrics; clinical pharmacology

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