The EU(7)-PIM list was used to identify potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) prescriptions. This list, published previously, was developed as a screening tool by experts on geriatric prescribing from seven European countries and can be used as a guide in clinical practice. The list considers that 282 chemical substances or drug classes from 34 therapeutic groups are PIM for older people.
The PIM therapeutic subgroup ‘drugs for acid-related disorders’ was the second most frequently prescribed subgroup, and ‘proton-pump inhibitors used longer than 8 weeks’ was the most frequently prescribed PIM in the whole European sample and also in all but one of the individual countries. The high frequency of use of proton-pump inhibitors without a justified indication and its possible association with adverse consequences suggests that interventions focussed at avoiding their inappropriate prescription are necessary.
The authors comment that interventions aimed at improving the prescription of psycholeptics and ‘drugs for acid-related disorders’ are needed. Certain groups were identified as being at a higher risk of being prescribed a PIM (aged ≥80; living in a care facility, those with higher comorbidity and higher functional impairment) and these may especially benefit from such interventions. They conclude that further research is required to determine whether the prescription of PIM according to the EU(7)-PIM list is associated with adverse outcomes beyond polypharmacy and whether the application of the PIM list can help improving prescription appropriateness for older people with dementia.