Trends of the potentially inappropriate medication consumption over 10 years in older adults in the East of France.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the trends of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use in older adults from 1995 to 2004 in the East of France, by using the 1997 Beers criteria and its French update, and to assess risk factors for this PIM use.


METHODS
We carried out a repeated cross-sectional study using data collected among people aged >/=65 years, examined in the Center for Preventive Medicine. Studied variables were socio-demographic, clinical data, medication consumption and the self-health status. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to estimate the temporal changes in PIM rate.


RESULTS
30 683 participants were included. 51.2% were women. The mean age was 70.1 +/- 4.3 years [65-99]. The annual overall rate of PIM use decreased significantly during the study period. These rates range from 14.9% in 1995 to 9.0% in 2004 according the Beers criteria (-3.4% per year) and from 33.5% in 1995 to 19.3% in 2004 according to the French update criteria (-3.6% per year). The annual rate of medication users increased during the same period (+0.75% per year). The risk of PIM consumption increased with age, number of drugs and frequency of the visits to the physician (OR = 1.26 [1.18-1.35]). This risk was also higher among women (OR = 1.29 [1.18-1.40]), elderly living alone (OR = 1.09 [1.02-1.17]) and with those with low education level (OR = 1.19 [1.02-1.38]).


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows a decrease in PIM consumption. Despite an increase of drug use in the elderly, an improving of the quality of this consumption remains possible.
Centre technique d'appui et de formation des Centres d'examens de santé (CETAF), 67-69 Avenue de Rochetaillée, Saint-Etienne cedex 02. bienvenu.bongue@cetaf.cnamts.fr
Bienvenu
B
Bongue
Florence
F
Naudin
Marie-Laure
ML
Laroche
Marie-Madeleine
MM
Galteau
Claire
C
Guy
René
R
Guéguen
Jean-Pierre
JP
Convers
Alain
A
Colvez
Nabil
N
Maarouf
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009819:Office Visits; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019338:Polypharmacy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations