title: Potentially inappropriate prescribing and cost outcomes for older people: a cross-sectional study using the Northern Ireland Enhanced Prescribing Database.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to estimate the prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) in the Northern Ireland (NI) population aged ≥70 years, to investigate factors associated with PIP and to calculate total gross cost of PIP.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cross-sectional population study was carried out in those aged ≥70 years in 2009/2010 who were in primary care in NI. Data were extracted from the Enhanced Prescribing Database, which provides details of prescribed and dispensed medications for each individual registered with a general practitioner. Twenty-eight PIP indicators from the Screening Tool of Older Persons potentially inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) criteria were applied to these data. PIP prevalence according to individual STOPP criteria and the overall prevalence of PIP were estimated. The relationship between PIP and polypharmacy, age and gender was examined using logistic regression. Gross cost of PIP was ascertained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of PIP in the study population (n = 166,108) was 34 %. The most common examples of PIP identified were proton pump inhibitors at maximum therapeutic dose for >8 weeks (17,931 patients, 11 %), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs >3 months (14,545 patients, 9 %) and long-term long-acting benzodiazepines (10,147 patients, 6 %). PIP was strongly associated with polypharmacy, with those receiving seven different medications being fivefold more likely to be exposed to PIP than those on zero to three medications (odds ratio 5.04, 95 % confidence interval 4.84-5.25) The gross cost of PIP was estimated to be <euro>6,098,419
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consistent with other research, the prevalence of PIP was high among the study cohort, increased with polypharmacy and was associated with significant cost.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, HRB Centre for Primary Care Research, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland. marie.bradley@qub.ac.uk
authors.forename: Marie C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fahey
authors.forename: Caitriona
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cahir
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: Dermot
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.forename: Carmel M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D016527:Drug Costs; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057970:Inappropriate Prescribing / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009660:Northern Ireland; D019338:Polypharmacy; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies