088 – Interview: Avoiding Inappropriate Prescribing in Aging & What to Know About the Beers Criteria

In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with geriatrician Dr. Michael Steinman, Professor of Medicine at UCSF and an expert on medication safety in older adults. He recently served on the expert panel that authored the American Geriatrics Society 2019 Updated AGS Beers Criteria® for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults, which lists medications that older adults should avoid or use with caution. They discuss:

• What is “inappropriate prescribing” and why it affects an estimated 50% of older adults
• How ageism can affect medication prescribing
• How inertia, hospitalizations, and other factors lead to medications “accumulating”
• Why it’s not safe to assume that all your medications are being prescribed for a good reason
• How to be proactive about asking your health providers to review whether all medications are still necessary and appropriate
• What is the Beer’s Criteria list and how does the Expert Panel decide what should be on it
• Why older adults become more vulnerable to medications as they age
• Some key Beers Criteria medications older adults should know about
• What you can do if you’re taking a medication on the Beer’s Criteria list
• How pharmacists can help, and other tips on ensuring safer medication use in aging

Related episodes: 

046 – Interview: Deprescribing & Reducing Risky Medications in Aging

073 – Anticholinergic Medications & Protecting Brain Health

034 – Preventing Falls: 10 Types of Medication to Reconsider

Related Resources:

(Note: To date, HealthinAging.org and the American Geriatrics Society have not made the full 2019 Beers Criteria available for free to the public. For a full list, an option is to purchase the pocketcard, which we link to below.)

• From HealthinAging.org:
  • Medications Older Adults Should Avoid or Use With Caution
  • Ten Medications Older Adults Should Avoid Or Use With Caution
  • What to do & What to Ask if a Medication You Take is Listed in the AGS Beers Criteria List
• About the 2019 Beers Criteria Update:
  • American Geriatrics Society 2019 Updated AGS Beers Criteria® for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults
  • 2019 AGS Beers Criteria Pocketcard (costs $8-$10, lists all medications)
  • Using Wisely: A Reminder on the Proper Use of the American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria
• Other Related Articles by Michael Steinman:
  • What is this drug for? Prescriptions without indications
  • Beyond the Prescription: Medication Monitoring & Adverse Drug Events in Older Adults
• How to Taper Benzodiazepines (Helpful consumer handout with sample tapering schedule)
• Related Better Health While Aging Articles:
  • Medications Older Adults Should Avoid or Use with Caution: The American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria (2019 Update)
  • Deprescribing: How to Be on Less Medication for Healthier Aging
  • 7 Common Brain-Toxic Drugs Older Adults Should Use With Caution
  • 4 Types of Brain-Slowing Medication to Avoid if You’re Worried About Memory
  • How to Review Medications for Safety & Appropriateness