title: Criteria for drug selection in frail elderly persons.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elderly patients with multiple morbidities and polypharmacy are at an increased risk of adverse drug events (ADEs). Appropriate prescribing, preserving the balance between drug effectiveness and safety, and treatment adherence may prevent these ADEs. In this study, we investigated which drug properties, such as effectiveness, safety, clinical experience and convenience, are relevant to the choice of medicine most appropriate for frail elderly patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The primary aim of this study was to develop a set of criteria to assist in the selection of the most appropriate drug within a drug class for the treatment of frail elderly patients. A secondary goal was to test the usefulness of the set of criteria in the prescription of antipsychotics for delirium and behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one criteria potentially relevant to the choice of appropriate drugs for frail elderly patients were selected on the basis of a literature search in MEDLINE (1966-2008), EMBASE (1947-2008) and the Cochrane Library (1993-2008). This list was reviewed by 46 experts (24 physicians, 22 pharmacists), who scored each item for relevance in clinical practice on a scale from 1 to 10 (where 1 is not important and 10 is very important). By consensus, the authors selected the most relevant criteria for the final set of criteria. The usefulness of the final set of criteria was assessed with regard to the prescription of antipsychotics for delirium and BPSD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final set of 23 items consisted of 3 items on effectiveness, 14 on safety, including pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic criteria, 3 on clinical experience and 3 on convenience. Assessment using these criteria of the appropriateness of antipsychotics prescribed for delirium and BPSD revealed that certain drugs should be prescribed with caution to patients with Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The criteria identified in this study, selected on the basis of a literature review and clinical expert opinion, represent a promising approach for determining the appropriateness of a drug for use in frail elderly individuals relative to alternative drugs for the same indication or from the same class.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huisman-Baron
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van der Veen
authors.forename: Paul A F
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Eric N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: van Roon
authors.forename: Jacobus R B J
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Brouwers
authors.forename: Rob J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van Marum
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D003693:Delirium / Q000188:drug therapy; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents