Evaluation of Potentially Inappropriate Medications and Polypharmacy among Geriatrics in Public Hospitals of Hyderabad

Evaluating potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) will assist prescribers to pay greater care while prescribing for the geriatrics. The objective of this study was to evaluate potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and rate of polypharmacy used among geriatric patients in public hospitals of Hyderabad Sindh, Pakistan. This research was made in the pattern of cross-sectional and observational study. Database of two public hospitals (Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Hospital and Services Hospital of Hyderabad, Sindh) was analyzed by Beers Criteria and Univariate analysis. From Jan 1st to March 30, 2016, 430 patient charts were reviewed to compile the data and among those, data of 134 patients was included in the study. A total of 834 medications were prescribed, an average of 6.21 per patient, with 70.1 % of patients with polypharmacy. Beers Criteria identified 165 Potential inappropriate medications of the geriatric patients, 48.5 % of patients had at least one potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) while 24.6 % patients had two or more. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the polypharmacy was highly associated (P value <= 0.001) with the prevalence of PIMs. Other variables were not statistically significant (P value >= 0.05). We found that PIMs use and Polypharmacy was common in public hospitals of Hyderabad. Healthcare professionals in particular pharmacists have to play an important role by reviewing prescriptions based on explicit criteria.