Indicators of prescribing quality for elderly hospital inpatients

Abstract

Objectives: To develop a set of indicators of prescribing quality for elderly patients in Australian hospitals. Methods: Based on a set of indicators developed in the UK, indicators were developed and piloted at nine hospitals in Victoria. Indicators fell into three groups: a) summarising general prescribing activity, b) assessing prescribing based on prescription data only, and c) assessing prescribing based on prescription and clinical data. Following pilot audits, the indicators were reviewed, and indicators that were impractical or flawed were dropped. To assess inter-rater reliability, a selection of prescriptions were assessed by two pharmacists. Audit results for three indicators were..