Prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescribing in older adults in Jordan: Application of the STOPP criteria

AbstractObjectivesTo measure the prevalence of cases of potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) for older patients and to identify the risk factors for identified cases of PIP.MethodsSTOPP criteria version 2 were used for identifying cases of PIP for older patients (>65 years) who were admitted to a tertiary hospital in Jordan over a period of 18 months. Data were collected by prospectively reviewing the clinical and prescription records of included patients. Descriptive analysis, univariate analysis and multiple linear regression were used to analyse the results.ResultsUpon admission, during hospitalisation and on discharge, 144, 182 and 156 cases of PIP were identified, respectively. There was a statistically significant association between the number of prescribed medications and cases of PIP during the hospital journey (P < .05).ConclusionInappropriate prescribing of medications is highly prevalent among older patients. Application of validated (STOPP) criteria can help to detect and direct development of interventions to prevent PIP occurrence among older patients.