Drug Utilization and Inappropriate Prescribing in Centenarians

OBJECTIVES: To use primary care electronic health records (EHRs) to evaluate prescriptions and inappropriate prescribing in men and women at age 100. DESIGN: Population‐based cohort study. SETTING: Primary care database in the United Kingdom, 1990 to 2013. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals reaching the age of 100 between 1990 and 2013 (N = 11,084; n = 8,982 women, n = 2,102 men). MEASUREMENTS: Main drug classes prescribed and potentially inappropriate prescribing according to the 2012 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria. RESULTS: At the age of 100, 73% of individuals (79% of women, 54% of men) had received one or more prescription drugs, with a median of 7 (interquartile range 0–12) prescription items. The most frequently prescribed drug classes were cardiovascular (53%), central nervous system (CNS) (53%), and gastrointestinal (47%). Overall, 32% of participants (28% of men, 32% of women) who received drug prescriptions may have received one or more potentially inappropriate prescriptions, with temazepam and amitriptyline being the most frequent. CNS prescriptions were potentially inappropriate in 23% of individuals, and anticholinergic prescriptions were potentially inappropriate in 18% of individuals. CONCLUSION: The majority of centenarians are prescribed one or more drug therapies, and the prescription may be inappropriate for up to one‐third of these individuals. Research using EHRs offers opportunities to understand prescribing trends and improve pharmacological care of the oldest adults.