Potential prescribing omission (PPO) represents a failure in prescribing drugs when indicated due to lack of the evidence base. Published data are scarce on the prevalence of prescribing omissions in Jordan. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of prescribing omissions in elderly patients in a Jordanian teaching hospital. Screening Tool to Alert doctors to the Right Treatment (START) version 2 was used to identify the prescribing omissions in older adults admitted to a tertiary hospital in Jordan for 18 months. During the study period, data relating to the patients medical problems and prescribed medicines were collected by two clinical pharmacists via reviewing the clinical and prescription records of the included patients. Data were collected using a predefined data collection form and statistical analysis was conducted using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPPSS). One or more prescribing omissions were found in 40.5%, 41.0%, and 39.5% of the patients upon admission, during hospitalization, and on discharge, respectively. The most common prescribing omission was about START criterion I1 which was seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine annually in 54.8% upon admission, 51.5% during hospitalization, and 51.9% on discharge. Logistic regression found that the higher number of medical conditions was associated with an increased risk of PPO occurrence upon admission, during hospitalization, and on discharge (p value < 0.05). Acts of omission of appropriate medications were highly prevalent among older patients in our hospital setting. A validated screening tool (START) is one method of systematically identifying appropriate omitted medicines in clinical practice. Application of validated START criteria can help detect and prevent PPO occurrence among older patients
Key words: Prescribing omission, older adults, acute illness, START screening tool.
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