[Safe use of medications among elderly people: a checklist]. / Uso seguro de los medicamentos en adultos mayores: una lista de chequeo.

Elderly people are particularly vulnerable to adverse drug reactions (ADR) due to polypathology and polypharmacy and the changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of medications induced by aging. It is very important to evaluate the safety aspects and appropriate use of medications in this population. For this purpose, a checklist is proposed consisting of a list of medications (including herbal medicine), detecting and treating geriatric syndromes induced by medications, overprescription, unprescription and underprescription; measuring and treating drug adhesion, measuring parameters for geriatric posology, preventing adverse reactions due to inadequate drug recalls, evaluating aging people's capacity to take their medications and using the minimum datasheet regarding the medication prescribed to the patient. This checklist is developed based on validated instruments. It is a proposal which application in the outpatient and inpatient context is possible and feasible.

Uso seguro de los medicamentos en adultos mayores: Una lista de chequeo / Safe use of medications among elderly people: A checklist

Los adultos mayores son más propensos a presentar reacciones adversas medicamentosas (RAM), debido a la polifarmacia que caracteriza a aquellos con múltiples enfermedades, y cambios, que por la edad ocurren en la farmacocinética y la farmacodinamia de los medicamentos. La evaluación de los aspectos de seguridad y uso racional de los medicamentos son importantes en esta población; por ello, se propone una lista de chequeo que consiste en hacer una lista de medicamentos (incluye la medicina herbaria); detectar e intervenir síndromes geriátricos inducidos por medicamentos, sobreprescripción, disprescripción e infraprescripción; medir e intervenir la adherencia farmacológica, medir los parámetros para posología geriátrica; prevenir las reacciones adversas por retiro inadecuado de fármacos, evaluar la capacidad de manejo de medicamentos de la persona mayor y utilizar la hoja de información mínima sobre el fármaco prescrito al paciente. Esta lista de chequeo construida en base a instrumentos validados, es una propuesta cuya aplicación en el contexto ambulatorio y hospitalario es posible y factible.

Elderly people are particularly vulnerable to adverse drug reactions (ADR) due to polypathology and polypharmacy and the changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of medications induced by aging. It is very important to evaluate the safety aspects and appropriate use of medications in this population. For this purpose, a checklist is proposed consisting of a list of medications (including herbal medicine), detecting and treating geriatric syndromes induced by medications, overprescription, unprescription and underprescription; measuring and treating drug adhesion, measuring parameters for geriatric posology, preventing adverse reactions due to inadequate drug recalls, evaluating aging people’s capacity to take their medications and using the minimum datasheet regarding the medication prescribed to the patient. This checklist is developed based on validated instruments. It is a proposal which application in the outpatient and inpatient context is possible and feasible.