Potentially Inappropriate Antidepressant Use in Older People Compared With the Adult Population in Türkiye

Introduction: The prevalence of polypharmacy in older people contributes to potentially inappropriate prescribing, which is evaluated using various criteria. Depressive disorders are serious issues for older adults. In this study, the prescribing rates of potentially inappropriate antidepressants in older age groups in Türkiye were compared with younger age groups. Materials and Method: All electronic prescriptions including those for antidepressants, in Türkiye, issued by family physicians in 2019 were obtained using the Prescription Information System. Data were analyzed using the Beers Criteria 2019 update. Results: Of all prescriptions, 0.63% written for older people (65 years and over) were “Potentially Inappropriate Medication” classified antidepressant medications. A significantly lower percentage of “Potentially Inappropriate Medication” classified prescriptions, was observed for older people compared to the rate of total prescriptions (30.6% vs 32%). Paroxetine and amitriptyline had the highest prescription rates for older people. Older people received significantly more “Drugs to be Used With Caution” (35.6% vs. 32%). The top five most frequently prescribed “Drugs to be Used With Caution” for older people were escitalopram, sertraline, duloxetine, citalopram, and mirtazapine. Conclusions: There was a lower rate of prescribing of “Potentially Inappropriate Medication” for older people (65 years and over) than for younger (between 18-65 years) people. This suggests that family physicians are aware of the potential inappropriateness of specific antidepressants and prescribe them less frequently. Additionally, increased prescribing of “Drugs to be Used With Caution” in elderly can be associated with the limited availability of completely safe drugs in this population.