Investigators searched Medline and HealthSTAR databases from January 1, 1985 through June 30, 1999 to identify articles on suboptimal prescribing in those age 65 years and older. A manual search of the reference lists from identified articles and the authors' article files, book chapters, and recent reviews was conducted to identify additional articles. The definitions for various types of suboptimal prescribing (polypharmacy, inappropriate, and underutilization) are numerous, and measurement varies from study to study. The literature suggests that suboptimal prescribing is common in older outpatients and inpatients. Moreover, there is significant morbidity and mortality associated with suboptimal prescribing for these older patients. Evidence from well-controlled studies suggests that multidisciplinary teams and clinical pharmacy interventions can modify suboptimal drug use in older people. Future research is necessary to measure and test other methods for tackling this major public health problem facing older people.

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Objectives To describe the prevalence of unplanned hospitalizations caused by ADRs among older Veterans and examine the association between this outcome and polypharmacy after controlling for comorbidities and other patient characteristics. Design Retrospective cohort. Setting Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC). Participants 678 randomly selected unplanned hospitalizations of older (age ≥ 65 years) Veterans between 10/01/03 and 09/30/06. Measurements Naranjo ADR algorithm, ADR preventability, and polypharmacy (0–4, 5–8, and ≥ 9 scheduled medications). Results Seventy ADRs involving 113 drugs were determined in 68 (10%) older Veterans’ hospitalizations, of which 36.8% (25/68) were preventable. Extrapolating to the population of over 2.4 million older Veterans receiving care during the study period, 8,000 hospitalizations may have been unnecessary. The most common ADRs that occurred were bradycardia (n=6; beta blockers, digoxin), hypoglycemia (n=6; sulfonylureas, insulin), falls (n=6; antidepressants, ACE-inhibitors), and mental status changes (n=6; anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines). Overall, 44.8% of Veterans took ≥ 9 outpatient medications and 35.4% took 5–8. Using multivariable logistic regression and controlling for demographic, health status, and access to care variables, polypharmacy (≥ 9 and 5–8) was associated with an increased risk of ADR-related hospitalization (AOR 3.90, 95% CI 1.43–10.61 and AOR 2.85, 95% CI 1.03–7.85, respectively). Conclusion ADRs determined by a validated causality algorithm are a common cause of unplanned hospitalization among older Veterans, are frequently preventable, and are associated with polypharmacy.