BeersKriterien

Beers Criteria, also known as Beers-Kriterien, refers to a set of explicit guidelines used to identify potentially inappropriate medications for older adults. It was originally developed by clinician Mark Beers in 1991 and is maintained and periodically updated by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS). The criteria are designed to improve medication safety in older populations by guiding clinicians in prescribing and deprescribing.

The Beers Criteria categorize medications into groups, including drugs that are generally best avoided in older adults, drugs to avoid with certain diseases or syndromes (such as dementia or high fall risk), medications that require cautious use, and medicines that need dose adjustment or careful monitoring. The overarching aim is to reduce adverse drug events such as cognitive impairment, delirium, falls, hospitalizations, and polypharmacy.

Beers Criteria are intended as a decision-support tool for physicians, pharmacists, and health care organizations. They are widely used in the United States and have influenced practice standards, medication reviews in primary care and hospital settings, and formulary decisions in long-term care facilities. They are not mandatory rules and should be applied in the context of individual patient needs and preferences.

Limitations and criticism include the potential for overgeneralization, the need to balance risks and benefits in complex cases, and reliance on expert opinion that may not reflect all patient scenarios or local prescribing practices. The criteria are continuously revised to reflect new evidence and evolving clinical practice.