In order to address the growing concerns of adverse drug events, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is continuing quality improvement efforts with assistance with prescription drug therapy.
The prescribing of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) is a serious health care issue and a major cause of adverse drug reactions, especially in the elderly. In fact, epidemiological studies show that the rate of PIM prescriptions ranges from 17 percent to 37 percent in community elderly and as high as 40 percent in long term care residents.
The most common screening tool for inappropriate prescribing is the Beers’ Criteria which was last revised in 2003 by a national expert panel. In addition to the specific medical concern for each drug, it also provides a severity rating due to the physiologic changes that occur with aging. Using the Beers’ Criteria as a guideline, providers can evaluate risk versus benefit for their patients, closely monitor the potential for adverse reactions or make a decision to use an alternative drug.
Quality Insights of Delaware is working with select nursing homes to analyze prescribing patterns and identify opportunities for reducing PIMs through education, tools and resources. Please visit our Resources page for tools and articles related to drug safety.