Geriatricians Less Likely to Prescribe Potentially Harmful Drugs to Older Adults than Other Doctors
Philadelphia, PA, June 23, 2023 - Geriatricians are less likely than general internists to prescribe “potentially inappropriate medications” (PIMs) to their older patients—including anticholinergics, which have been linked to cognitive impairment and decline in older adults, according to a recent study by the American Board of Internal Medicine. The study found they were also more likely to prescribe safer alternatives.
The findings, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, help endorse geriatricians as high quality specialists in caring for older adults and suggests there is work to be done in embedding key principles of safe prescribing for older adults into internal medicine training. These data also fuel concerns about the growing national shortage of providers that are needed to care for an aging older population in the United States.
“These findings really go a long way towards validating the expertise geriatricians bring to bear when caring for their older patients,” said Jonathan Vandergrift, Senior Research Associate at American Board of Internal Medicine and lead author of the study.
The study used national data from 2013 to 2019 to compare annual PIM prescribing rates between about 3,000 geriatricians certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine from 1994 to 2018, matched 1:1 with similar physicians who were certified in internal medicine only. PIM prescribing was measured using a Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) quality indicator.
Overall, geriatricians were 17% less likely to prescribe PIMs to their older patients between 2013 and 2019. This gap in PIM prescribing was observed across most medication subtypes including potentially inappropriate central nervous system, anticholinergic, endocrine and pain medication. Highlighting the potential benefits nationally, they found if all general internists were to prescribe as geriatricians do, then about 90,000 fewer older adults would receive an inappropriate PIM medication each year.
“These data highlight that there is a real opportunity to improve safe prescribing for older adults,” said Mr. Vandergrift. “However, these patients were prescribed medication from almost five different providers annually which really suggests that, while we do need more geriatricians, we also need to better integrate geriatric medicine principals throughout our training and our health care systems.”
Board Certified Doctors Make a Difference
Internists and subspecialists who earn and maintain board certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) differentiate themselves every day through their specialized knowledge and commitment to continual learning in service of their patients. Established as an independent nonprofit more than 80 years ago, ABIM continues to be driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world. Visit ABIM's blog to learn more and follow ABIM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. ABIM is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties.
Media Contact
Lisa Finnegan 215 399-3992
lfinnegan@abim.org