Assessing the Prescription Pattern of Driving-Impairing Psychotropic Medications for the Older Adults in Tabriz in 2022

Objectives: The older adults' population in the world and Iran is increasing, and consequently, the consumption of various medications has also risen in this age group.Many of these drugs, especially psychiatric medications, have negative effects on the cognitive and motor abilities of the older adults and can increase the risk of traffic accidents.This study was conducted to investigate the pattern of prescribing driving-impairing psychotropic medications in the older adults' population of Tabriz. Materials and Methods:This descriptive analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province.Data were extracted from prescriptions for the older adults between March 2021 and March 2022, collected from the Social Security Organization.A total of 55,285 prescriptions were included in the study.Psychiatric medications were classified into six general categories, and their impact on driving was assessed using a classification system of driving-impairing medicines.The study variables included the characteristics of the older adults, the type and name of psychiatric medications, and the specialties of the physicians.Data were analyzed using Stata version 17 software.Results: In this study, of the total 55,285 psychiatric prescriptions prescribed for the older adults in Tabriz in 2022, 64.38% were for women and 35.62% for men.The results showed that more than half of the prescribed medications (58.66%) had a moderate effect, 21.85% had a mild effect, and 19.49% had a severe effect on driving.Antidepressants, anxiolytics, and antipsychotics had the highest frequency among drugs with a negative impact on driving.Additionally, gabapentin, nortriptyline, alprazolam, and clonazepam were the five most frequently prescribed drugs for the older adults.A significant correlation was also observed between the prescribed driving-impairing medicines and the gender, age of the older adults, and the physicians' specialties (P<0.001). Conclusion:According to the results, a significant proportion of the psychiatric medications prescribed for the older adults, especially antidepressants, anti-anxiety, and antipsychotic drugs, have adverse effects on driving.Significant differences were also observed in the prescription of medications based on the gender, age of the older adults, and the specialty of the prescribing physicians.Raising awareness among the older adults, continuous training for physicians, and the development of standardized drug prescription protocols considering the impact of medications on driving can help reduce risks and improve traffic safety for the older adults.