Updated Criteria for Inappropriate Medication Use in Elderly Persons

January 1, 2007

A consensus panel of experts recently updated the Beerscriteria, one of the most widely used guidelines for medicationuse in older adults.1 Listed in the Table are medicationsthat should generally be avoided in persons aged 65and older-regardless of diagnosis or condition-eitherbecause the agents are ineffective in these patients or becausethey pose unnecessarily high risks.

A consensus panel of experts recently updated the Beerscriteria, one of the most widely used guidelines for medicationuse in older adults.¹ Listed in the Table are medicationsthat should generally be avoided in persons aged 65and older--regardless of diagnosis or condition--eitherbecause the agents are ineffective in these patients or becausethey pose unnecessarily high risks.

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REFERENCE:
1

. Fick DM, Cooper JW, Wade WE, et al. Updating the Beers criteria for potentiallyinappropriate medication use in older adults: results of a US consensuspanel of experts. Arch Intern Med. 2003;163:2716-2724.