The use of therapeutic flags to assist GPs prescribing for older persons.
BACKGROUND
Prescribing for older persons can present challenges for general practitioners.


METHODS
Forty-one GPs used a series of statements about appropriate drug use (therapeutic flags) to review the medications of 727 older patients.


RESULTS
Following the review, 14.5% of prescribed medications were changed including 6% stopped. Another 7% were associated with other activities such as monitoring of therapy as recommended by guidelines. General practitioners regarded therapeutic flags as informative and suggested they should be integrated with prescribing software.


CONCLUSIONS
Therapeutic flags may assist the provision of quality medication to older patients.
Bonner
Chris J
CJ
Faculty of Health, Science and Medicine, Bond University, Queensland. cbonner@mediflags.com
D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D000075202:Contraindications; D020000:Decision Support Systems, Clinical; D004346:Drug Information Services; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000592:standards*; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards*; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000379:methods; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic