An institutional medication audit identified lorazepam among potentially inappropriate medicines without measuring a lorazepam-related adverse event.
The audit findings
The cross-sectional study reviewed medication use in 73 older residents at one institution in East Coast Malaysia. About 21.9% met the study’s polypharmacy definition. Applying the 2023 Beers criteria, the authors identified several potentially inappropriate medicines.
Lorazepam was prescribed to one resident, representing 1.4% of the sample. Prazosin, chlorpromazine, and colchicine also appeared among the flagged medicines. These are prescription-screening observations, not counts of proven medication injuries.
Screening is a starting point for individual review
A potentially inappropriate medication designation identifies a reason to examine risk, indication, and alternatives. It does not automatically establish that use was unreasonable in every circumstance. The audit did not demonstrate that the resident taking lorazepam experienced a fall, delirium, or cognitive injury because of it.
The single institution, small sample, and one-time assessment limit estimates of broader prescribing patterns. For a care review, pair a screening flag with the resident’s indication, duration, administration record, monitoring, and observed outcomes. The paper’s contribution is a focused medication-use snapshot, with a reminder that uncommon prescribing within one facility can still deserve individual attention.
Source paper
Original analysis of the supplied journal article, identified as PMC12945387.
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