A STUDY ON PRESCRIBING PATTERN OF DRUGS IN GERIATRICS USING BEERS CRITERIA AT A PRIVATE CORPORATE HOSPITAL

The prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use is high among geriatrics, affecting up to 40% of patients. The objectives of the study are to evaluate the prescription pattern in geriatrics and to identify potentially inappropriate medications using Beers Criteria 2012. The data were collected and recorded in standard data entry format. The prescriptions were analyzed for appropriateness using the revised version of Beers criteria 2012. During the study period 200 prescriptions were screened. Out of 200 prescriptions 64.5% of the prescriptions were appropriate and 35.5% were inappropriate. 95% of drugs belonged to group 1 of Beers criteria (Potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults), 2% of drugs belonged to group 2 (Inappropriate medication use in older adults due to drug-disease or drug-syndrome interactions that may exacerbate the disease or syndrome) and 3% belonged to group 3(Potentially inappropriate medications to be used with caution in older adults). The use of inappropriate medications can be avoided using the Beers criteria 2012, which is one of the important clinical tools which can be wisely used by physicians, pharmacists and health care providers. Hence pharmacists need to play an important role in reducing inappropriate medication use and suggest safer therapeutic alternatives for the geriatric populationt.