The goals of Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc.'s (HQSI's) New Jersey Drug Safety Initiative are to reduce the use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in the elderly and the avoidance of drug-on-drug interactions (DDIs) by providing educational materials and promoting safe prescribing habits and strategies to improve medication safety.

Older adults are at increased risk for adverse drug reactions due to age-related physiological changes, the presence of multiple and complex medical conditions, and the number of medications taken. While not all adverse reactions are avoidable, factors known to contribute to preventable medication-related problems in older adults include polypharmacy, the use of PIMs, and poor medication compliance or adherence. Other factors that increase the risk for medication errors include receiving prescriptions from more than one physician and filling prescriptions at multiple pharmacies.

HQSI will highlight a PIM; a PIM is a medication that has limited therapeutic efficacy and/or the potential for serious side effects in the elderly. The most common screening tool for PIMs is the Beers Criteria, which was last revised in 2003.

View a chart on commonly prescribed PIMs in New Jersey and to find suggested alternatives to help improve patient safety.