How common is inappropriate medication use in the elderly? An AGS Beers 2023 Criteria®-based assessment of medication use in the elderly at a tertiary hospital in India

Abstract Background: The current study’s objective is to evaluate the drug prescribing patterns and analyze such patterns using the 2023 AGS Beers Criteria ® , among senior patients over 65 years old receiving care at the geriatric outpatient department (OPD) at a teaching hospital in Western India. Methodology: A total of 100 patients, 50 males and 50 females, who met the inclusion criteria and consented to the study at the geriatric OPD of the hospital had their prescriptions examined. The frequency of prescriptions for potentially inappropriate medicines (PIMs) was examined using the 2023 revision of the AGS Beer Criteria ® . The Chi-square test was used to analyze the data and compare the proportions of polypharmacy between genders as well as the relationship of polypharmacy with the frequency of PIM prescriptions. Results: Seventy-five formulations out of 617 formulations were found to be PIMS in 74 patients. PIMs most commonly prescribed were pantoprazole (28 individuals), followed by aspirin and glimepiride ( P = 0.05). A statistically significant correlation ( P > 0.05) was observed between PIM prescription and polypharmacy. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for guidelines to prevent PIM and drug-related issues to ensure the safe and effective use of medications in the elderly.