Utility and limitations of a screening tool of older person's prescription among psychiatric elder patients: A comprehensive review

• Published in: Aging and health research Vol. 1; no. 3; p. 100031
• Main Authors: Aguiar, João Pedro, Gama Marques, João, Alves da Costa, Filipa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.09.2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adverse drug reactions; Dementia; Elderly; Explicit criteria; Healthcare settings; Inappropriate prescribing; Mental health; Polypharmacy; Polypharmacy; Healthcare settings; Mental health; Adverse drug reactions; Elderly; Inappropriate prescribing; Explicit criteria; Dementia
• ISSN: 2667-0321; 2667-0321
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ahr.2021.100031

•This review shows that STOPP criteria are more comprehensive and sensitive to assess PIMs compared to other explicit criteria (e.g. Beers criteria, PRISCRUS criteria, FORTA).•STOPP criteria have been widely used to assess the prevalence of PIMs in specific elder sub-groups with mental disease; however, derived interventions are often less well accepted given the lack of a patient-centred approach.•More studies using STOPP criteria in geriatric individuals with psychiatric conditions should be performed to assess the real value of this tool in clinical practice. Our aim was to critically review the literature on the utility and limitations of a Screening Tool of Older Person's Prescription (STOPP) among the elderly, with special focus on older individuals with mental illness. We conducted a literature search on PubMed from January 1991 until July 2019. STOPP criteria was first developed in 2008, in Ireland, by Gallagher and colleagues, last updated in 2015 and culturally adapted to a few countries in the meantime. Compared to other existing tools, like Beers criteria, STOPP seems to be more practical to use, also because their organization focuses on medications classes instead of specific drugs. However, several limitations inherent to the use of explicit criteria are known, namely lack of sensitivity to assess the appropriateness of drug therapy in older individuals with mental illness, which are detailed in the manuscript. STOPP criteria is one of the most comprehensive and useful tool to use in practice. However, more studies in geriatric populations with psychiatric conditions should be performed to assess the real value of this tool in clinical practice.