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The purpose of this paper is to examine rates of potentially inappropriate prescribing in a population dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid using the new 2003 Fick update, which revises the previous 1997 Beers list.

Cross sectional retrospective review of 2003 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) Medicaid Pharmacy claims data. Claims data submitted for outpatient and nursing home residents for elderly enrollees dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid were analyzed. Potentially inappropriate drug use was assessed using the 2003 Fick update to the previous 1997 Beers list. Inappropriate use was identified based on these criteria for drugs independent of diagnosis.

Of enrollees with drug use, 34 percent received an inappropriate drug per the 1997 Beers list; 47 percent per the 2003 Fick update. Hispanics had the highest percentage of drug recipients receiving an inappropriate drug in the Northeast region per the 2003 Fick update. Within therapeutic category, the number of inappropriate genitourinary products dispensed to total genitourinary products ranked the highest at 20 percent per the 2003 Fick update.

This study examines variations in Beers drug use in the elderly dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid population in 2003 by applying the 2003 Fick et al. update of the 1997 Beers list to one of the nation's largest sources of person‐specific data on prescribed drugs. Inappropriate use was identified for drugs independent of diagnosis. Of enrollees with drug use, 34 percent received an inappropriate drug per the 1997 Beers list; 47 percent per the 2003 Fick update. Within therapeutic category, the number of inappropriate genitourinary products dispensed to total genitourinary products ranked the highest at 20 percent per the 2003 Fick update. The paper's findings provide evidence that the potential use of inappropriate drugs in Hispanics should be considered separately from other ethnicity groups.

A markedly higher rate of potentially inappropriate drug use in the elderly Medicaid population exists following the Fick update. These findings provide evidence that the potential use of inappropriate drugs in Hispanics should be considered separately from other ethnicity groups. By comparing drug use based on therapeutic category, genitourinary products were found to have the highest potential for inappropriate prescribing.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the probability of the occurrence of an analgesic medication injury when controlling for potential risk factors, as well as gain a better understanding of which risk factors appear more problematic.

Cross‐sectional retrospective review of 2004 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service Medicaid Pharmacy claims data. Logistic regression analysis performed to examine the risk of injury‐related emergency room (ER) visits following the use of analgesics controlling for potential risk factors.

Methadone, an agent to treat severe pain, and propoxyphene, an agent to treat non‐severe pain, are problematic opioids in the elderly. White origin, male gender, and increased disease burden are potential risk factors influencing injury‐related ER visits for elderly analgesic recipients. Increased age in the elderly is a potential risk factor for severe pain analgesics; decreased age for non‐severe pain analgesics.

The study uses administrative data which, by its nature, makes conducting outcomes research on inappropriate medication use problematic. A number of confounders are present.

Appropriate drug therapy in an elderly patient is complicated by age‐related changes in pharmacokinetics as well as chronic disorders that affect drug response. Knowing of additional risk factors that may place the patient at greater odds of having an adverse outcome should improve prescribing practices.

The findings add to the literature by identifying problematic risk factors associated with injury among elderly recipients of analgesics.