BACKGROUND: Psychotropic drugs are commonly utilised among the elderly. This study aimed to analyse whether two socioeconomic determinants - income and marital status - are associated with differences in utilisation of psychotropic drugs and potentially inappropriate psychotropic drugs among elderly in Sweden.

METHODS: All individuals aged 75 years and older who had purchased a psychotropic drug in Sweden during 2006 were included (68.7% women, n = 384712). Data was collected from national individual-based registers. Outcome measures were utilisation of three or more psychotropic drugs and utilisation of potentially inappropriate psychotropic drugs, as classified by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare.

RESULTS: Individuals with low income were more likely to utilise three or more psychotropic drugs compared to those with high income; adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.12 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.14). The non-married had a higher probability for utilising three or more psychotropic drugs compared to the married (aOR 1.22; CI 1.20-1.25). The highest probability was observed among the divorced and the never married. Potentially inappropriate psychotropic drugs were more common among individuals with low compared to high income (aOR 1.14; CI 1.13-1.16). Compared to the married, potentially inappropriate psychotropic drug utilisation occurred more commonly among the non-married (aOR 1.08; CI 1.06-1.10). The never married and the divorced had the highest probability.

CONCLUSIONS: There was an association between socioeconomic determinants and psychotropic drug utilisation. The probability for utilising potentially inappropriate psychotropics was higher among individuals with low income and among the non-married.

PURPOSE: To analyse trends in sales of potentially inappropriate psychotropic substances (PIPS) in relation to drugs recommended by Drug and Therapeutics Committees (DTC drugs) among 75-year olds and among individuals born 1925 in Sweden.

METHODS: Trends in sales of PIPS and DTC drugs among 75-year olds and among individuals born 1925 in Sweden during 2000-2008 were analysed with linear regression models. Sales were measured as defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants and day. PIPS were defined according to a proposal from the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. The selection of DTC drugs was based on a review of recommendations from local DTCs.

RESULTS: Among 75-year olds, PIPS sales decreased 38% and DTC drugs sales increased 31% from 2000 to 2008. The hypnotic PIPS decreased 45%, while the DTC hypnotics increased 36%. The total sales of PIPS to individuals born in 1925 decreased 12% from 2000 to 2008. The DTC drugs increased 115%. Sales of hypnotic PIPS decreased 12%, and the hypnotic DTC drugs increased 120%.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate a trend towards the utilization of DTC drugs rather than PIPS.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of psychotropic drug use is high among the elderly, but research on how psychotropic drugs are used among individuals aged 90 years and older is limited. An increased knowledge on this topic may contribute to improved prescribing patterns in this vulnerable population. The aim of this study was to assess the use of psychotropic drugs in relation to mental disorders and institutionalization among 95-year-olds and to identify use of potentially inappropriate psychotropic drugs.

METHODS: All 95-year-olds born in 1901-1903 living in nursing homes or community settings in Gothenburg, Sweden were invited to participate. The response rate was 65% and 338 95-year-olds were examined (263 women, 75 men). Psychotropic drug use in relation to mental disorders and institutionalization was assessed. Information on drug use was collected primarily from multi-dose drug dispensing lists. Participants were examined by trained psychiatrists using the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale and a battery of cognitive tests. Dementia, depression, anxiety and psychotic disorders were diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition, revised (DSM-III-R).

RESULTS: Sixty percent of the 95-year-old participants used psychotropic drugs; hypnotics were most common (44%). Potentially inappropriate psychotropics were observed in one third (33%). Antidepressants were used by 7% of the participants without dementia who fulfilled criteria for a depressive disorder, while 56% used hypnotics and 30% used anxiolytics.

CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of psychotropic drug use and the nonspecific nature of these treatments among 95-year-olds indicate a need for improvement in prescribing patterns.

PURPOSE: The indicator "concurrent use of three or more psychotropic drugs" has been used as a measure of quality in drug use among the elderly. The aim of our study was to assess to what extent the indicator captures the use of specific psychotropics associated with an increased risk of adverse events among the elderly, i.e., potentially inappropriate psychotropic drugs (PIP).

METHODS: All individuals aged 75 years and older in Sweden purchasing prescribed psychotropic drugs in 2006 constituted the study population (n = 384,904). Data on purchased psychotropic drugs from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register were used. The overlap between individuals with the indicator and individuals using PIP was assessed with sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and likelihood ratio as outcome measures.

RESULTS: Among the psychotropic drug users, 15% had the indicator and 39% used PIP. The proportion of individuals with the indicator among all individuals using PIP was 27% (sensitivity). The proportion of individuals without the indicator among all individuals not using PIP was 93% (specificity). The positive predictive value was 72%, and the negative predictive value was 67%. Differences in outcome measures were observed between different categories of PIP.

CONCLUSIONS: The indicator "concurrent use of three or more psychotropics" can be technically easy to use, but PIP is more specific. Three quarters of all individuals who used PIP in this study were not captured by the indicator. However, two thirds of all individuals with the indicator used PIP. When selecting instruments to assess appropriateness in drug therapy in the elderly, clinical relevance should be balanced against convenience of use.