Potentially inappropriate medication use and polypharmacy are common among adults aged 65 and older and are associated with an increased risk of adverse drug events, falls, delirium, hospital readmissions, and increased healthcare costs. Despite the availability of evidence-based prescribing guidelines, such as the American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria, inappropriate prescribing for older adults remains prevalent. The purpose of this quality improvement project is to implement and evaluate an evidence-based educational intervention designed to improve inpatient providers’ knowledge, confidence, and prescribing practices related to medication safety in adults aged 65 years and older. Hospitalist nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians responsible for prescribing medications and discharging older adult patients on a Medical-Surgical Unit will complete a pre-assessment, participate in an educational session, receive a quick-reference safe prescribing badge card, and complete a post-assessment. Expected outcomes include improved provider knowledge and confidence, increased use of deprescribing and medication reconciliation strategies, greater application of the Beers Criteria, and reduced prescribing of potentially inappropriate medications. Ultimately, this project aims to improve medication safety and health outcomes for older adults.
