title: Drug Utilization and Inappropriate Prescribing in Centenarians.
abstract: To use primary care electronic health records (EHRs) to evaluate prescriptions and inappropriate prescribing in men and women at age 100.
  
  
  
  Population-based cohort study.
  
  
  
  Primary care database in the United Kingdom, 1990 to 2013.
  
  
  
  Individuals reaching the age of 100 between 1990 and 2013 (N = 11,084; n = 8,982 women, n = 2,102 men).
  
  
  
  Main drug classes prescribed and potentially inappropriate prescribing according to the 2012 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria.
  
  
  
  At the age of 100, 73% of individuals (79% of women, 54% of men) had received one or more prescription drugs, with a median of 7 (interquartile range 0-12) prescription items. The most frequently prescribed drug classes were cardiovascular (53%), central nervous system (CNS) (53%), and gastrointestinal (47%). Overall, 32% of participants (28% of men, 32% of women) who received drug prescriptions may have received one or more potentially inappropriate prescriptions, with temazepam and amitriptyline being the most frequent. CNS prescriptions were potentially inappropriate in 23% of individuals, and anticholinergic prescriptions were potentially inappropriate in 18% of individuals.
  
  
  
  The majority of centenarians are prescribed one or more drug therapies, and the prescription may be inappropriate for up to one-third of these individuals. Research using EHRs offers opportunities to understand prescribing trends and improve pharmacological care of the oldest adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Public Health Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Nisha C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Hazra
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Public Health Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.|Biomedical Research Centre, National Institute for Health Research, Guy's and St Thomas' National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dregan
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Gerontology, King's College Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Public Health Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.|Biomedical Research Centre, National Institute for Health Research, Guy's and St Thomas' National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Martin C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gulliford
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004363:Drug Utilization; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057970:Inappropriate Prescribing; D008297:Male; D019338:Polypharmacy; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: aging; centenarians; epidemiology; inappropriate prescribing; primary care