title: [Detection of inappropriate medication use in the elderly; will the STOPP and START criteria become the new Dutch standards?].
abstract: Many drugs that can be prescribed safely and effectively to younger patients are potentially inappropriate for the elderly as a result of physiological changes and increased comorbidity. A screening tool can be useful for detecting potentially inappropriate medication use in the elderly. When analysing medication use in the elderly, both overtreatment and undertreatment should be assessed. In Ireland, a screening method called the STOPP and START criteria has been developed; these provide 'handles' for the detection of potential overtreatment and undertreatment. The STOPP and START criteria, therefore, seem to be more fitting to the Dutch situation than the widely used Beers' criteria. In the new Dutch multidisciplinary guideline, 'Polypharmacy in the elderly' the use of the STOPP and START criteria is advised. In this article, we present a translation of the STOPP and START criteria which has been adapted for Dutch practice.
authors.affiliation: Jeroen Bosch Ziekenhuis, 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Annemieke M A
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vermeulen Windsant-van den Tweel
authors.forename: Monique M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Verduijn
authors.forename: H J Jeroen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Derijks
authors.forename: Rob J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van Marum
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009426:Netherlands; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D063487:Prescription Drug Misuse