Korean J Fam Med.  2013 Sep;34(5):319-326. 10.4082/kjfm.2013.34.5.319.

Survey of Potentially Inappropriate Prescription Using STOPP/START Criteria in Inha University Hospital

• Lee SJ
• Cho SW
• Lee YJ
• Choi JH
• Ga H
• Kim YH
• Woo SY
• Jung WS
• Han DY

• KMID: 2234953
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.2013.34.5.319

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Prescribing potentially harmful drugs and omitting essential drugs to older patients is a common problem because they take so many medications. In this study, our goal was to identify potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs) using Screening Tool of Older Persons' potentially inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) and Screening Tool to Alert doctors to the Right Treatment (START) criteria to improve proper prescription and reduce improper prescription.
METHODS
Enrolled in this study were 117 patients older than 65 years old who were hospitalized at Inha University Hospital in Incheon due to pneumonia from January 2012 to March 2012. Patient data, including medical histories, current diagnoses, current medications, and biochemical data were recorded from electronic records. STOPP and START were applied to their clinical datasheets.
RESULTS
STOPP criteria identified 24 patients who had 29 PIMs. Most potential inappropriate prescribing was of cardiovascular medications, followed by drugs whose primary effect is on the urogenital system and gastrointestinal system. START criteria identified 31 patients who had 46 PPOs. The cardiovascular system drugs comprised most of the PPOs. No PPOs were identified under the central nervous system criteria.
CONCLUSION
Given the current Korean medical system conditions and considering the many clinically important situations when prescribing drugs, STOPP/START criteria are not absolute criteria to prevent improper prescription, but sagacious usage of these standards can help physicians to prescribe properly in clinical practice.

Keyword

Aged Patients; STOPP/START Criteria; Potentially Inappropriate Medications; Potential Prescribing Omissions

MeSH Terms

Cardiovascular System
Central Nervous System
Drugs, Essential
Electronics
Electrons
Humans
Inappropriate Prescribing
Mass Screening
Pneumonia
Prescriptions
Urogenital System
Drugs, Essential