Inappropriate medication can lead to fracture or even death

According to this new study, certain drugs or medications which have adverse effects on your health can be potential threats to your life.

Initiation of potentially inappropriate medication is associated with a higher risk of fractures and mortality, according to a new study. It was found that the initiation of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) is associated with a higher risk of fracture-specific hospitalisations and mortality. Initiation of a PIM is also associated with higher hospital costs.

Wondering what's Potentially Inappropriate Medication? Well, there are certain drugs which are considered inappropriate or potentially inappropriate in old age because of the higher risk of intolerance related to adverse pharmacodynamics or pharmacokinetics or drug-disease interactions.

The study was conducted on the basis of collaboration between the University of Eastern Finland, Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea) and The Social Insurance Institution of Finland. PIMs are defined as medications with higher risks than their clinical benefits under two criterions Beers Criteria and STOPP criteria. In this study that was published in the European Journal of Health Economics, PIMs were defined according to the Meds75+ database maintained by the Fimea.

The study also indicated that the risk of fracture-specific hospitalisations and mortality is higher when initiating PIMs. Previous studies conducted in Europe have not investigated hospital costs associated with PIM use with as long a follow-up as this study. PIM prescription always requires clinical grounds, which take account of the risks related to medical treatments.

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