title: [Analysis of medication prescription in an Argentinian geriatric hospital].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although polypharmacy may be justified in elderly patients with multiple diseases, it may be dangerous, especially when it includes potentially inappropriate medications (PIM).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify inappropriate medication and factors associated with the most relevant prescriptions among older people.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional observational analysis of drugs prescribed during the first trimester of 2010 to 179 older adults aged 77 ± 8 years (98 women), living in a geriatric reference hospital in Argentina. The use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) in elderly patients was analyzed using Beers Criteria updated to 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean number of drugs prescribed per individual was 6.1 ± 2.7. The most commonly used drugs were anti-ulcer agents (58.1%), agents acting on the renin-angiotensin system (54.2%), antithrombotic medications (50.8%) and benzodiazepines (50.8 %). The use of antacids and anti-ulcer agents, psychotropic drugs and PIM was significantly higher among patients using six or more drugs daily, compared to the less medicated group (odds ratio (OR) = 6.8, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 3.5-13.2; OR=15.0, 95%CI 5.9-38.4; OR=5.0; 95%IC 2.6-9.8, respectively). Thirty one percent of participants using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, were not receiving medications for gastric protection. One to four drugs included in the Beers list were prescribed to 66% of participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the high prevalence of use of antacids and anti-ulcer agents, these drugs were not prescribed to a significant proportion of patients using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Strategies to optimize pharmacotherapy in the elderly population are urgently required.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Matemática y Estadística, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. marzimarta58@gmail.com
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marzi M
authors.forename: Valeriana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Diruscio A
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Núñez H
authors.forename: Miryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pires S
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Quaglia B
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001118:Argentina; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D057970:Inappropriate Prescribing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies