Prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults with home follow-up

• Varela, Agustina ^[1] ; Goldin, Lucas ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidad Abierta Interamericana

     Universidad Abierta Interamericana

     Argentina

     
• Localización: SAP Primary Care, ISSN-e 3121-2212, Nº. 1, 2025
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) represents a priority issue in the care of older adults. This age group experiences physiological changes that alter the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of medications, increasing the risk of adverse effects, interactions, and avoidable hospitalizations. This study aims to determine the prevalence of use of potentially inappropriate medications, specifically benzodiazepines (BZDs), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), in older adult patients receiving home care in the City of Buenos Aires. An observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 51 patients from the Home Care Service in Buenos Aires City. Mean age was 84.2 years (range 70–108). Polypharmacy (≥5 drugs) was present in 67.3 % of patients and extreme polypharmacy (≥10 drugs) in 16%. At least one potentially inappropriate medication was used by 69.1% of patients, mainly benzodiazepines (55%) and proton pump inhibitors (35%), with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs accounting for 24%. The findings reinforce the need to optimize prescribing and promote rational deprescribing strategies in the home setting.