Drug prescriptions in elderly hospitalized patients with cognitive impairment in the Italian Dementia Friendly Hospital project

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to characterize drug prescription patterns in elderly patients hospitalized in acute wards as a function of cognitive status and staff training.MethodsWe recorded clinical parameters reflecting health status and drug prescriptions at admission, during hospital stay, and at discharge before and after a short staff training on the needs of aged cognitively impaired patients. Participants aged 65 and older had a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥16. The number of prescriptions, sedative and anticholinergic load, and drug–drug interactions were evaluated. Of the 116 older patients analyzed, 59 patients were cognitively impaired, and 57 were cognitively normal with an MMSE value > 24. Fifty-nine patients (28 CN, 31 CI) were assisted by the hospital health staff after training.ResultsParticipants presented a widespread polypharmacy. Cognitively impaired patients received more prescriptions, more inappropriate prescriptions, had a greater sedative load, and were exposed to more interactions. Staff training had no effect on the prescription pattern.ConclusionThe results suggest that hospitalized cognitively impaired patients are overprescribed psychotropic drugs and have an excessive sedative and anticholinergic load. Interventions designed to improve dementia care practices in health staff that are not also designed to manage drug polypharmacy do not modify prescription patterns.