Prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescribing in community-dwelling older adults: an application of STOPP/START version 3 to The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA)

Abstract

Aim: To assess the prevalence of the latest version of STOPP/START criteria (Version 3) in a nationally representative sample of older community-dwelling adults and explore any association with healthcare utilisation and functional decline over time. Findings: In a sample of 3619 older Irish adults, a total of 31% (n = 1123) experienced STOPP potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and exposure to any STOPP PIM was associated with increased hospital admissions and functional decline over time. Just over one-third of participants (36.2%; n = 1309) experienced START potential prescribing omissions (PPOs), with increasing age and number of chronic conditions associated with START PPOs. Message: Over one-third of participants experienced a subset of STOPP PIMs, another one-third experienced a subset of START PPOs. Balancing the relative benefits and risks of medication in older adults with multimorbidity continues to present challenges for both prescribers and older adults.