Inappropriate prescribing rates same for PCPs, NPs

Editor's Note

A new study finds that both primary care physicians (PCPs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) inappropriately prescribe medications to older patients at the same rate, the Annals of Internal Medicine October 24 reports. The research is titled "Inappropriate Prescribing to Older Patients by Nurse Practitioners and Primary Care Physicians." 

The study looked at more than 73,000 PCPs and NPs. The research group, which came from UCLA, Yale Law School, and Stanford, calculated inappropriate prescribing rates for 23,669 NPs and 50,060 PCPs prescribing medications to patients aged 65 years and older across 29 states.

The researchers found that both PCPs and NPs averaged approximately 1.7 inappropriate prescriptions for every 100 prescriptions written. They also said the findings provide important insights for policymakers, lawmakers, and regulators and that technology can be one tool to improve inappropriate prescriptions along with initiatives to ensure better adherence to established guidelines such as the Beers Criteria.