Updated Beers Criteria Add New Drugs, Emphasis on Dose Adjustments and Interactions

​The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) has issued its first update to the Beers Criteria since 2012, expanding and clarifying the list of medications that may be inappropriate for older adults who are not receiving hospice or palliative care. Published online in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, the revised guidelines include not only drugs that should be avoided altogether but also drugs that should have their doses adjusted based on the patient's kidney function, along with drug-drug interactions associated with a greater risk of harm in the elderly. New medications and classes of medications have also been added to the list, such as proton-pump inhibitors (prescribed to treat acid reflux or stomach ulcers), which may be associated with bone loss, fractures, and serious bacterial infections.