Enhanced STOPP/START Criteria: A Tool for Managing Polypharmacy in Older Population

Abstract

Polypharmacy in geriatric patients is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. Therefore, several instruments for prescription analysis and optimization can be used to enhance the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy in old age population. STOPP/START criteria is one of the most popular screening tools in the Russian Federation and abroad that list potentially inappropriate drugs for use in older patients (STOPP criteria) and potentially prescribed for certain clinical cases (START criteria). Two previous versions of the STOPP/START criteria were published in 2008 and 2015. Released in 2023, the newest (third version) demonstrates the evolution of evidence-based pharmacotherapy for older and oldestold patients, featuring 133 STOPP and 57 START criteria. Expanding the base of STOPP/START criteria should support optimization of prescriptions and reducing ADRs risk in older patients. This article introduces translation of STOPP/START criteria, version 3.