5PSQ-079 Continued use of potentially inappropriate medication after hospital discharge: a retrospective cohort study

<h3>Background and Importance</h3> Many patients receive temporarily indicated medications when they are hospitalised, e.g. opioids, benzodiazepines and/or antipsychotics. When such medications are continued at hospital discharge, it can result in potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use post-discharge. However, there are no data available about continued use of PIMs at home in the Netherlands. <h3>Aim and Objectives</h3> Therefore, the aim was to investigate the incidence of continued use of in hospital-initiated opioids, benzodiazepines, and antipsychotics post-discharge in the Netherlands. <h3>Material and Methods</h3> A retrospective cohort study was conducted in a Dutch teaching hospital. Patients aged ≥18 years and discharged from the hospital between January 2019 to May 2023 with a new prescription of an opioid, benzodiazepine or antipsychotic started during hospitalisation and continued at discharge, were included and followed-up for 1 year. Data from the hospital information system and dispensing records of community pharmacies (Nationwide Medication Record System) were used to identify patients who continued use post-discharge. Primary outcomes of this study were the incidence of continued PIMs prescriptions post-discharge for each of the medication classes of interest and duration of use. Duration of use was classified into &lt;30 days, 30–182 days and &gt;182 days. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. <h3>Results</h3> Among 6,835 patients with a new prescription of one of the study medications, 82.7% were prescribed and dispensed an opioid at discharge (n=5,652, mean age 61.1 years, 57.3% female), 14.7% a benzodiazepine (n=1,005, mean age 60.7 years, 53.3% female) and 2.6% an antipsychotic (n=178, mean age 69.2 years, 48.9% female). 62.5% of new benzodiazepine users, 73.4% of new opioid users and 42.1% of new antipsychotic users had a duration of continued use of &lt;30 days post-discharge. A substantial number of patients had a duration of PIM use &gt;182 days post-discharge (13.4% of opioid, 20.9% of benzodiazepine and 36.0% of antipsychotic medication users). <h3>Conclusion and Relevance</h3> This study found that antipsychotics were most often continued &gt;182 days post-discharge, followed by benzodiazepines and opioids. These results highlight the importance of recognising PIMs and emphasise the need for careful evaluation of discontinuing these medications at hospital discharge or specifying a discontinuation date. <h3>References and/or Acknowledgements</h3> <h3>Conflict of Interest</h3> No conflict of interest