Table 3.
Consensus criteria regarding the initiation of drug therapy for older adults (≥ 75 years) with an estimated life expectancy of 3 months or less
| Drug or drug class (ATC code) | |
| Often adequate | |
| Butylscopolamine (A03BB01) | |
| Metoclopramide (A03FA01) | |
| Antiemetics and antinauseants (A04A) | |
| Drugs for constipation (A06) | |
| Glucocorticoids for systemic use (H02AB) | |
| Opioid analgesics (N02A) | |
| Non-opioid analgesics (N02B) | |
| Clonazepam (N03AE01) | |
| Levetiracetam (N03AX14) | |
| Other antiepileptics (N03)a | |
| Anxiolytics: benzodiazepines (N05BA) | |
| Questionable | |
| Drugs for acid-related disorders, excluding PPI (A02) | |
| Intermediate-acting and combined insulin (A10AC, A10AD) | |
| Oral antidiabetics (A10B) | |
| Unfractionated heparin (B01AB01) | |
| Low molecular weight heparin (B01AB04 to B01AB11) | |
| Platelet aggregation inhibitors (B01AC) | |
| Blood products (B05A) | |
| Digitalis glycosides (C01AA) | |
| Low-ceiling diuretics (C03A, C03B) | |
| High-ceiling diuretics, excluding furosemide and torasemide (C03C) | |
| Potassium-sparing agents (C03D) | |
| Beta-blocking agents (C07) | |
| Calcium channel blockers, excluding verapamil (C08) | |
| Oxybutynin (G04BD04) | |
| Drugs for prostatic hypertrophy, excluding finasteride (G04C) | |
| Anti-thyroid drugs (H03B) | |
| Iodine therapy (H03C) | |
| Anti-gout medications, excluding colchicine (M04) | |
| Anti-Parkinson drugs, excluding levodopa (N04) | |
| Hypnotics and sedatives, excluding benzodiazepines (N05C) | |
| Tricyclic antidepressants (N06AA)a | |
| Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (N06AF-AG) | |
| Systemic drugs for obstructive airway diseases (R03C, R03D) | |
| Often inadequate | |
| Vitamin D (A11CC) | |
| Calcium supplement (A12A) | |
| Vitamin K antagonists (B01AA) | |
| Novel oral anticoagulants (B01AE, B01AF) | |
| Other anticoagulants (B01AD, B01AX) | |
| Iron preparations and erythropoietin (B03A, B03XA01) | |
| Vitamin B12 and folic acid (B03B) | |
| Cardiac glycosides, excluding digoxin (C01A) | |
| Other cardiac stimulants (C01C) | |
| Antihypertensives (C02) | |
| Peripheral vasodilators (C04) | |
| Verapamil (C08DA01) | |
| Angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (C09A, C09B) | |
| Angiotensin II antagonists (C09C, C09D) | |
| Lipid-modifying agents (C10) | |
| Drugs for urinary incontinence, excluding oxybutynin (G04BD) | |
| Finasteride (G04CA51) | |
| Antineoplastic drugs (L01) | |
| Endocrine therapies (L02) | |
| Immunostimulant (L03A) | |
| Immunosuppressants (L04A) | |
| Bisphosphonates and other osteoporosis drugs (M05B) | |
| Antidementia drugs (N06D) |
ATC, anatomical therapeutic chemical classification; PPI, proton-pump inhibitor
Level of agreement was classified as high (75–84%) or very high (≥ 85%)
aExcluding drugs (e.g., gabapentin, pregabalin, amitriptyline) prescribed for the management of neuropathic pain