Implementation and Evaluation of the STOPP Criteria to Address Polypharmacy in a Long-Term Care Facility

Abstract

Background: Polypharmacy is defined as the concurrent use of multiple medications and is a prevalent phenomenon in healthcare settings across the country. People who are 65 years old and older tend to take the most medications, making this the most common population for polypharmacy. Most adverse reactions are a result of polypharmacy and are one of the causes of skyrocketing healthcare costs, as well as responsible for the high number of deaths each year. Polypharmacy can also lead to increased falls, medication noncompliance, and hospitalizations.

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project is to reduce the occurrence of polypharmacy by using the Screening Tool of Older Persons’ Prescriptions (STOPP) criteria to improve appropriate medication prescribing among those who are 65 years old and older who live in a long-term care facility in Colorado.