Attitudes and beliefs of older adults and caregivers towards deprescribing in French-speaking countries: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: Successful deprescribing requires understanding the attitudes of older adults and caregivers towards this process. This study aimed to capture these attitudes in four French-speaking countries and to investigate associated factors. METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted by administrating the French version of the revised Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing (rPATD) questionnaire in Belgium, Canada, France, and Switzerland. Community-dwelling or nursing home older adults ≥ 65 years taking ≥ 1 prescribed medications and caregivers of older adults with similar characteristics were included. Multivariate logistic regressions were carried out to examine factors associated with willingness to deprescribe. RESULTS: A total of 367 older adults (79.3 ± 8.7 years, 63% community-dwelling, 54% ≥ 5 medications) and 255 unrelated caregivers (64.4 ± 12.6 years) of care recipients (83.4 ± 7.9 years, 52% community-dwelling, 69% ≥ 5 medications) answered the questionnaire. Among them, 87.5% older adults and 75.6% caregivers would be willing to stop medications if the physician said it was possible. Reluctance to stop a medication taken for a long time was expressed by 46% of both older adults and caregivers. A low score for the factor "concerns about stopping" (older adults: aOR: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.07-0.59), and a high score for the factor "involvement" (older adults: aOR: 2.66; 95% CI: 1.01-7.07; caregivers: aOR: 11.28; 95% CI: 1.48-85.91) were associated with willingness to deprescribe. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of older adults and caregivers of French-speaking countries are open to deprescribing. Despite this apparent willingness, deprescribing conversations in clinical practice remains marginal, emphasizing the importance of optimizing the integration of existing tools such as rPATD.

REview of potentially inappropriate MEDIcation pr[e]scribing in Seniors (REMEDI[e]S): French implicit and explicit criteria.

PURPOSE: To establish a consensus on both explicit and implicit criteria in order to identify potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) in French older people aged 75 years and over or 65 years and over with multimorbidity. METHODS: Fifteen experts in geriatrics, general practice, pharmacy, and clinical pharmacology were involved in a two-round Delphi survey to assess preliminary explicit and implicit criteria based on an extensive literature review and up-to-date evidence data. Experts were asked to rate their level of agreement using a 5-level Likert scale for inclusion of criteria and also for rationale and therapeutic alternatives. A consensus was considered as reached if at least 75% of the experts rated criteria as "strongly agreed" or "agreed." RESULTS: The new tool included a seven-step algorithm (implicit criteria) encompassing the three main domains that define PIP (i.e. overprescribing, underprescribing, and misprescribing) and 104 explicit criteria. Explicit criteria were divided into 6 tables related to inappropriate drug duplications (n = 7 criteria), omissions of medications and/or medication associations (n = 16), medications with an unfavourable benefit/risk ratio and/or a questionable efficacy (n = 39), medications with an unsuitable dose (n = 4) or duration (n = 6), drug-disease (n = 13), and drug-drug interactions (n = 19). CONCLUSION: The REMEDI[e]S tool (REview of potentially inappropriate MEDIcation pr[e]scribing in Seniors) is an original mixed tool, adapted to French medical practices, aimed at preventing PIP both at the individual level in clinical practice and the population level in large-scale studies. Therefore, its use could contribute to an improvement in healthcare professionals' prescribing practices and safer care in older adults.

One-year persistence of potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults: A population-based study.

AIMS: To assess the 1-year persistence of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use and identify associated factors in community-dwelling older adults in Quebec, Canada. METHODS: A population-based cohort study was conducted using the Quebec Integrated Chronic Disease Surveillance System. Individuals insured by the public drug plan and aged ≥66 years who initiated a PIM between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015 were followed-up for 1 year. PIMs were identified using the 2015 Beers criteria. One-year persistence of PIM use was defined as continuous treatment with any PIM, without interruption for more than 60 days between prescriptions refills. Poisson regression models were performed to identify factors associated with 1-year persistence of any PIM. RESULTS: In total, 25.1% of PIM initiators were persistent at 1 year. In non-persistent individuals, the median time to PIM discontinuation was 31 days (interquartile range 21-92). Individuals were more persistent at 1 year with antipsychotics (43.9%), long-duration sulphonylureas (40.2%), antiarrhythmics/immediate-release nifedipine (36.5%) and proton pump inhibitors (36.0%). Factors significantly associated with persistence were an increased age, being a man and having a high number of medications and chronic diseases, especially dementia, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. CONCLUSIONS: One-quarter of community-dwelling older adults are continuously exposed to PIMs. To optimize medication prescribing in the older population, further interventions are needed to limit the use of PIMs most likely to be continued, especially in individuals most at risk of being persistent and also particularly vulnerable to adverse events.

Potentially inappropriate medications in older adults: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Non-optimal medication use among older adults is a public health concern. A concrete picture of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use is imperative to ensure optimal medication use. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of PIMs in community-dwelling older adults and identify associated factors. METHODS: A retrospective population-based cohort study was conducted using the Quebec Integrated Chronic Disease Surveillance System (QICDSS). The QICDSS includes data on drug claims for community-dwelling older adults with chronic diseases or at risk of developing chronic diseases aged ≥65 years who are insured by the public drug insurance plan. Individuals aged ≥66 years who were continuously insured with the public drug plan between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2016 were included. PIMs were defined using the 2015 Beers criteria. We conducted multivariate robust Poisson regression analyses to explore factors associated with PIM use. RESULTS: A total of 1 105 295 individuals were included. Of these, 48.3% were prescribed at least one PIM. The most prevalent PIMs were benzodiazepines (25.7%), proton-pump inhibitors (21.3%), antipsychotics (5.6%), antidepressants (5.0%) and long-duration sulfonylureas (3.3%). Factors associated with PIM exposure included being a woman [rate ratio (RR): 1.20; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20-1.21], increased number of medications and having a high number of chronic diseases, especially mental disorders (RR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.49-1.51). CONCLUSION: Almost one out of two community-dwelling older adults use a PIM. It is imperative to reduce the use of PIMs, by limiting their prescription and by promoting their deprescribing, which necessitates not only the active involvement of prescribers but also patients.

Off-label prescribing during pregnancy in France: the NéHaVi cohort
.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the off-label medication use in a cohort of pregnant women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a multicenter prospective longitudinal observational study in the Haute-Vienne department (France) called the NéHaVi cohort ("Né en Haute-Vienne" meaning "born in Haute-Vienne"). Women who had given birth to a viable baby in one of three maternity wards in the Haute-Vienne were included in the study after giving their informed consent. Data on the progress and outcome of pregnancies, childbirth, and drug or toxic exposure during pregnancy were collected. Drugs were classified, according to the labeling of the summary of product characteristics (SmPC) regarding the use in pregnancy, as follows: on-label, off-label at risk, and off-label contra-indicated. RESULTS: During their pregnancy, the 397 included women gave birth to 400 viable babies (209 boys, 191 girls, 3 sets of twins). All women had used at least 1 health product: 3,533 (92%) drugs, 298 (7.5%) homeopathic products, and 18 (0.5%) herb derivatives. The mean number of different drugs taken was 8.9 ± 5.3 (min 1, max 31). All pregnant women used at least 1 drug either with a license or considered as safe to take during pregnancy. Among the 2,538 (71.6%) on-label drugs, the most frequently used were analgesics (n = 611, 24.1%) (acetaminophen (n = 566)), antianemia preparations (n = 528, 20.8%), drugs for functional gastrointestinal disorder (n = 269, 10.6%), vitamins (n = 192, 7.5%), drugs for acid-related disorders (n = 148, 5.8%), and antibacterials (n = 118, 4.6%). In total, 321 (80.9%, 95% CI: 77.0 - 84.7) pregnant women used at least 1 off-label drug; and more precisely, 285 (71.8%, 95% CI: 67.4 - 76.2) used at least 1 off-label high-risk drug, and 189 (47.6%, 95% CI: 42.7 - 52.5) at least 1 contra-indicated drug. Among the 995 off-label drugs (28.2%), 760 (21.5%) were considered high-risk, including vasoprotectives (n = 156, 20.5%) (treatment of hemorrhoids (n = 147)), antithrombotic agents (n = 91, 11.6%) (heparins (n = 88)), and calcium channel blockers (n = 88, 11.6%). Lastly, 235 (6.7%) off-label drugs used were contraindicated medications (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs during the 3rd trimester (n = 231)). Five babies were born with malformations not related to the drugs used during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: We showed for the first time the magnitude of off-label prescription during pregnancy in France. Women and health professionals should be made more aware of the potential drug-induced risk during pregnancy. Drug adverse effects during pregnancy should be evaluated through an improved notification in pharmacovigilance and appropriate pharmacoepidemiologic studies in order to change SmPC labelings as early as possible, when necessary.

Synthesis and Characterization of the LiMnBO3-LiCoBO3 Solid Solution and Its Use as a Lithium-Ion Cathode Material.

A complete solid solution of m-Li(Mn1-xCox)BO3 has been successfully synthesized for the first time with the idea of improving the average potential versus m-LiMnBO3. These compounds have been obtained by a multiple-step process. Interestingly, transmission electron microscopy results indicate that the C2/c space group previously reported for m-LiMBO3 (M = Mn, Co) cannot describe m-Li(Mn1-xCox)BO3 compounds. Each material shows electrochemical activity, without in situ carbon coating. Despite a large polarization, we report a capacity of almost 60 mAh/g at the first discharge at C/20 rate with good stability up to five cycles for LiMn0.7Co0.3BO3.

Attitudes Toward Deprescribing in Older Adults and Caregivers: A Survey in Quebec, Canada.

This study aimed to describe attitudes toward deprescribing among older adults and caregivers. We recruited 110 adults 65 years and above using at least one prescribed medication for at least 3 months, and 95 unrelated caregivers (18+) of older adults with such characteristics, who answered the validated French version of the revised Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing questionnaire. More older adults (84.5%) than caregivers (70.5%) (p = .007) would be willing to stop at least one medication if the doctor said it was possible. Conversely, 93.5% of older adults and 78.9% of caregivers were satisfied with the current medications taken (p = .0024). The results did not vary according to age, sex, number of medications taken, education level, or residency. Thus, older adults and caregivers are disposed to undertake deprescribing, regardless of sociodemographic characteristics. However, relying solely on satisfaction with current medications may not be sufficient to identify relevant deprescribing opportunities.

Prevalence and direct costs of potentially inappropriate prescriptions in France: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIPs) in the older population remain a growing public health concern due to the many associated adverse events increasing healthcare service use and health costs. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and direct costs of PIPs in older adults aged ≥65 years in France. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 using a representative sample of the French national healthcare reimbursement system database. PIPs were defined using the French REMEDI[e]S tool. Overall reimbursed direct costs and by PIP category were extrapolated to the French older population. RESULTS: The overall PIP prevalence was estimated at 56.7% (95% CI: 56.4-57.0). Medications with an unfavorable benefit/risk ratio had the highest prevalence (34.0%, 95% CI: 33.7-34.3). Direct costs associated with PIPs represented 6.3% of the total reimbursed medication costs in 2017 (€507 million). Drug duplications were the main contributors to these costs (39.2% of the total reimbursed PIP costs, €199 million) and among all PIPs, proton pump inhibitors (>8 weeks) were the most expensive PIPs (€152 million). CONCLUSIONS: PIP prevalence is still high among French older adults, with substantial direct costs. Large-scale interventions targeting the most prevalent and/or costly PIPs are needed to reduce their clinical and economic impacts.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of the revised Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing (rPATD) questionnaire in French.

BACKGROUND: The revised Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing (rPATD) questionnaire allows capture of the beliefs and attitudes of older adults and caregivers towards deprescribing. OBJECTIVES: To translate and validate the rPATD questionnaire into French. METHODS: The French rPATD was translated using forward-backward translation. Psychometric properties were evaluated in both older adults ≥65 years living in the community or in institutions and who were taking at least one chronic medication and in caregivers of older adults with similar characteristics. Participants were recruited in four French-speaking countries (Belgium, Canada, France and Switzerland). Face and content validity were assessed during the translation process. Construct validity (exploratory factor analysis (EFA)) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) were investigated in questionnaires without missing data. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) in a sample of participants. RESULTS: In total, 320 questionnaires from older adults and 215 questionnaires from caregivers were included to evaluate construct validity and internal consistency. EFA extracted four factors in the older adults' and caregivers' versions of the questionnaire consistent with the English rPATD. The extracted factors related to the perceived burden of medication taking, the beliefs in appropriateness of medications, concerns about stopping medications and the level of involvement in making decisions and of knowledge of medications. Internal consistency was satisfactory for three factors for both versions (Cronbach's alpha >0.70), with lower internal consistency in the concerns about stopping factor. Test-retest reliability was overall good for all factors in the caregivers' version (ICC > 0.75) while for the older adults' version, moderate (ICC range: 0.75-0.50) to good ICC values were found. CONCLUSIONS: The French rPATD presents globally good psychometric properties and can be used to explore attitudes towards deprescribing in French-speaking older adults and caregivers.

Mapping of drug-related problems among older adults conciliating medical and pharmaceutical approaches.

PURPOSE: To lay the fundamentals of drug-related problems (DRPs) in older adults, and to organize them according to a logical process conciliating medical and pharmaceutical approaches, to better identify the causes and consequences of DRPs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A narrative overview. RESULTS: The causes of DRPs may be intentional or unintentional. They lie in poor prescription, poor adherence, medication errors (MEs) and substance use disorders (SUD). Poor prescription encompasses sub-optimal or off-label drug choice; this choice is either intentional or unintentional, often within a polypharmacy context and not taking sufficiently into account the patient's clinical condition. Poor adherence is often the consequence of a complicated administration schedule. This review shows that MEs are not the most frequent causes of DRPs. SUD are little studied in older adults and needs to be more investigated because the use of psychoactive substances among older people is frequent. Prescribers, pharmacists, nurses, patients, and caregivers all play a role in different causes of DRPs. The potential deleterious outcomes of DRPs result from adverse drug reactions and therapeutic failures. These can lead to a negative benefit-risk ratio for a given treatment regimen. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Interdisciplinary pharmacotherapy programs show significant clinical impacts in preventing or resolving adverse drug events and, suboptimal responses. New technologies also seem to be interesting solutions to prevent MEs. Better communication between healthcare professionals, patients and their caregivers would ensure greater safety and effectiveness of treatments.

Potentially inappropriate medications in older individuals with diabetes: A population-based study in Quebec, Canada.

AIM: To study the population-based prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) among older individuals with diabetes, and to identify factors associated with their use. METHODS: We used the Quebec Integrated Chronic Disease Surveillance System (QICDSS) database to conduct a population-based cohort study of individuals with diabetes ≥66 years between April 1st, 2014 and March 31st, 2015. PIMs were defined according to the 2015 Beers Criteria. Factors associated with PIM use were identified using robust Poisson regression models. Risk ratios (RR) and 99% confidence intervals (99%CI) were calculated. RESULTS: More than half (56%) of the 286,962 older individuals with diabetes used at least one PIM over a year. Benzodiazepines (41%), proton pump inhibitors (27%) and endocrine medication (mainly glibenclamide) (25%) were the most common PIMs used. Factors associated with PIM use included female sex (RR: 1.17; 99%CI: 1.16-1.18), and comorbidities such as schizophrenia (1.48; 1.45-1.51), anxiety disorders (1.34; 1.33-1.35) and Alzheimer's disease (1.14; 1.13-1.25). Risks of using PIMs increased both with increasing comorbidities and number of medications. CONCLUSION: PIM use is highly prevalent among older individuals with diabetes. Interventions to promote optimal medication use should particularly target individuals with comorbidities and polypharmacy who are most vulnerable to adverse drug events.

Prescription and deprescription of medications for older adults receiving palliative care during the last 3 months of life: a single-center retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Near the end of life, drugs to ensure comfort and improve quality of life should be prioritized, and unnecessary drugs should be avoided. The aim was to assess the evolution and quality of drug therapy throughout the last 3 months of life of older adults in need of palliative care. METHODS: A single-center retrospective cohort study included older adults (≥ 65 years) who died in a teaching hospital between 1 January 2014 and 30 June 2014 and had been identified as patients in need of palliative care in their last 3 months of life. Drugs were collected from electronic medical records and defined as 'unnecessary' or 'essential' based on a review of the literature. RESULTS: A total of 149 patients were included [age: 82.1 (SD 8.6) years, women: 46.3%]. The mean number of medications varied from 6.7 (SD 3.3) drugs 90 days before death, to 7.5 (SD 4.1) 7 days before death, to 5.6 (SD 3.6) on the day of death. During the final week of life, one additional prescription of essential drugs was observed for 75.2% of patients and 79.3% of patients had at least one unnecessary drug deprescribed. The most prescribed and deprescribed drug classes were, respectively, analgesics (56.4%) and antithrombotic agents (38.2%) during the last week of life. CONCLUSIONS: Near the end of life, medication therapy is adapted to the goals of palliative care. However, this only occurs during the last week of life. Earlier transition to palliative care is necessary to avoid exposure to unnecessary drugs.