Potentially Inappropriate Medications in Older Adults: Deprescribing with a Clinical Pharmacist

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the effects of a Geriatric Patient-Aligned Care Team (GeriPACT) on deprescribing of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in individuals aged 80 and older with usual care (UC) in the Veterans Affairs setting. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky. Participants: Individuals aged 80 and older who filled a PIM at least 90 days before a GeriPACT or primary care appointment between January 1, 2015, and September 6, 2017 (N = 568). Measurements: The primary outcome was to determine whether an interdisciplinary team (IDT) including a clinical pharmacy specialist (CPS) resulted in greater deprescribing of PIMs for older adults than UC. Results: One hundred twenty-one (26.8%) PIMs were deprescribed in GeriPACT, compared with 73 (16.1%) in UC (p =