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Objective. The global elderly population is anticipated to surpass 1.5 billion by the year 2050. Within the population covered by the Iran Health Insurance Organization (IHIO), approximately 8% consists of individuals aged 65 and above, amounting to over 3.5 million people. A critical concern in the elderly is the prevalent use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM), leading to adverse drug reactions and hospitalizations. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of PIM prescriptions and polypharmacy among outpatient geriatrics in Tehran.Methods. In this cross-sectional study, electronic medical records of geriatric patients (≥ 65 years), covered by IHIO were collected from outpatient clinics over one year in Tehran. The evaluation of PIM was conducted with the Beers Criteria 2023, and analysis was performed utilizing the CRISP data mining methodology. Results. This study analyzed 1,273,622 prescription medications from 327,295 patients. Approximately 57.14% of prescriptions were for female patients, and 60.27% of prescriptions were for the age group of 65 to 74 years. Polypharmacy was found in 36.95% of prescriptions. 21.04% (267,954 prescriptions) had at least one PIM. Ketorolac was the most often prescribed PIM. Psychiatrists exhibited a high PIM-prescribed prevalence. Linear regression analysis showed there was no association between patient age (β = -0.021) or gender (β = -0.038) and the prevalence of PIM prescriptions. Conclusions. The notable prevalence of PIM and polypharmacy in Tehran's geriatric population raises the imperative for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the IHIO to collaborate closely to enhance the prescription safety of the elderly population.
Gholamnezhad et al. (Wed,) studied this question.