European and other societies on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical

practice (constituted by representatives of eight societies and by invited experts).

Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil 2003;10:S1S10.
2. Rosenson RS. Current overview of statin-induced myopathy. Am J Med
2004;116:408416.
3. Eriksson M, Angelin B, Sjoberg S. Risk for fatal stain-induced rhabdomyolysis
as a consequence of misinterpretation of evidence-based medicine. J Intern
Med 2005;257:313314.
4. Baker SK. Molecular clues into the pathogenesis of statin-mediated muscle
toxicity. Muscle Nerve 2005;31:572580.
5. Prasad GV, Wong T, Meliton G et al. Rhabdomyolysis due to red yeast rice
(Monascus purpureus) in a renal transplant recipient. Transplantation
2002;27:12001201.
6. Smith DJ, Olive KE. Chinese red rice-induced myopathy. South Med J 2003;
96:12651267.
7. Rundek T, Naini A, Sacco R et al. Atorvastatin decreases the coenzyme Q10
level in the blood of patients at risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Arch
Neurol 2004;61:889892.
8. Yang HT, Lin SH, Huang SY et al. Acute administration of red yeast rice
(Monascus purpureus) depletes tissue coenzyme Q (10) levels in ICR mice. Br
J Nutr 2005;93:131135.
MEDICATION APPROPRIATENESS INDEX:
RELIABILITYAND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
FUTURE USE
To the Editor: The Medication Appropriateness Index
(MAI) measures the appropriateness of prescribing for
elderly patients, using 10 criteria for each medication pre-
scribed. For each criterion, the evaluator rates whether the
medication is appropriate, marginally appropriate, or in-
appropriate. Support is provided through explicit deni-
tions and instructions.
1
The MAI has been used in
observational and interventional studies.
26
Its feasibility,
content validity, predictive validity, and reliability have
been demonstrated in ambulatory settings.
1,710
Its limita-
tions are that reliability was lower when assessed by re-
searchers different from the authors
9,10
and that the
original instrument does not address some areas (drug al-
lergy, adverse drug reactions, compliance). We wanted to
assess the reliability of the MAI for elderly patients hospi-
talized on a Belgian geriatric unit. Professionals with ex-
pertise in geriatrics but practicing on different sites were
involved. Similar to previous research,
9
this study proceed-
ed in two phases. First, the MAI was translated into French
and piloted by a clinical pharmacist on 10 patients. Fol-
lowing discussions with another clinical pharmacist and a
geriatrician, clarications were introduced in the instruc-
tions. Second, interrater reliability between a clinical phar-
macist (AS) and a geriatrician (CD) was checked, using 113
drugs prescribed to 16 patients at discharge (69% female,
mean age 79.6, mean number of prescribed drugs on ad-
mission 6.2). The raters used an abstracted patient chart
compounded by the clinical pharmacist (using data from
the medical record and patient interview and from contact
with the general practitioner or the community pharmacist
if needed). Both raters performed the evaluations inde-
pendently and then met to compare their ratings. Discrep-
ancies were discussed, and raters were allowed to change
their ratings to reach a consensus. Table 1 summarizes the
results of agreement before and after discussion. Overall
agreement was good and improved after discussion. Agree-
ment on interactions was unsatisfactory before discussion
between raters. Insufcient or unclear instructions in the
MAI were found to be an important source of discrepancies.
Based on this and on previous similar experience,
810
the
following suggestions that might enhance the validity and
reliability of the instrument are made.
General suggestions:
Add examples of appropriate, moderately appropriate,
and inappropriate prescribing that are relevant to the
geriatric population.
Dene moderately appropriate for all criteria.
Consider how compliance could be accounted for, for ex-
ample with regard to choice (e.g., is the choice appro-
priate in a patient unwilling to take his or her medicines)
or to practical directions (e.g., evidence that the pa-
tient does not take the medication).
Suggestions specific to individual criteria:
Indication:
Add instruction that global status should be taken
into account (e.g., vitamin D in a patient with pre-
vious fractures but in palliative care is not always a
valid indication).
Choice:
Clarify how to cope with cases in which choice is
inappropriate because of drugdrug or drugdisease
interactions (e.g., use of alendronate in a patient
with severe esophagitis; is it considered inappropri-
ate in terms of choice and/or of drugdisease inter-
action?).
Dosage:
When a dose has been recently modied but conse-
quences are not yet measurable, specify that clinical
judgment should be used instead of the evaluation
tool provided in the instrument.
Replace the 1997 Beers list with the 2003 updated list.
Modalities correct
The directions (regarding food and time of adminis-
tration) provided for a limited number of drugs
should be completed to include directions for addi-
tional drugs commonly prescribed in geriatrics.
Modalities practical
Take into account the information provided to the
patient to ensure adequate intake of the medication;
give inappropriate ratings when written instructions
for a new medicine with specific modalities of
administration (e.g., bisphosphonates) are not
provided.
Drugdrug and drugdisease interactions
Further investigate interrater reliability, because low
prevalence precluded a complete analysis in previous
reports,
1,8,10
and prevalence was higher in
the current study, but initial reliability was unsatis-
factory.
Review the modications proposed previously,
8,9
and agree on the definition to use in each setting.
Update the list of drugdisease interactions provided in
the instrument. (Some may not be clinically relevant
anymore.)
Include allergy as a drugdisease interaction.
Duration
Add specific instructions for drugs that are progres-
sively withdrawn.
720 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR APRIL 2006VOL. 54, NO. 4 JAGS
Consider giving (moderately) inappropriate rating for
short-termtreatments for which no indication on the
end of treatment has been provided in the letter or to
the patient.
In conclusion, even though perfect interrater agreement is
illusory, additional instructions and examples could improve
the validity and reliability of the instrument. Researchers
with previous experience with the MAI could discuss this.
Anne Spinewine, MSc
Center for Clinical Pharmacy
Universite Catholique de Louvain
Louvain, Belgium
Christophe Dumont, MD
Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics
Hopitaux St. Joseph-Ste. Therese-IMTR
Gilly, Belgium
Louise Mallet, PharmD
Faculty of Pharmacy
Universite de Montre al
McGill University Health Center
Montreal, Que bec, Canada
Christian Swine, MD
Center for Clinical Pharmacy
Universite Catholique de Louvain
Louvain, Belgium
Department of Geriatrics
Mont-Godinne University Hospital
Yvoir, Belgium
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Financial Disclosure: Anne Spinewine is a Research Fellow
of the Belgian Fonds National de la Recherche Scientique.
Author Contributions: A. Spinewine participated in
study design, acquisition of data, analysis and interpreta-
tion of data, and preparation of the manuscript. C. Dumont
participated in analysis and interpretation of data and
preparation of the manuscript. L. Mallet participated in
analysis and interpretation of data. C. Swine participated in
study design, analysis and interpretation of data, and prep-
aration of the manuscript.
Sponsors Role: None.
REFERENCES
1. Hanlon JT, Schmader KE, Samsa GP et al. Amethod for assessing drug therapy
appropriateness. J Clin Epidemiol 1992;45:10451051.
2. Hanlon JT, Weinberger M, Samsa GP et al. A randomized, controlled trial of a
clinical pharmacist intervention to improve inappropriate prescribing in eld-
erly outpatients with polypharmacy. Am J Med 1996;100:428437.
3. Schmader K, Hanlon JT, Weinberger Met al. Appropriateness of medication pres-
cribing in ambulatory elderly patients. J Am Geriatr Soc 1994;42:12411247.
Table 1. Interrater Reliability Between a Clinical Pharmacist and a Geriatrician (n 5113 Drugs Prescribed to 16 Patients at
Hospital Discharge)
Parameter A B C D
Positive
Predictive Value
Negative
Predictive Value Kappa*
Before discussion between raters
Indication 104 6 0 3 0.97 0.5 0.48
Effectiveness 93 6 2 12 0.96 0.75 0.71
Dosage 90 6 6 11 0.93 0.65 0.58
Correct directions 92 5 3 13 0.96 0.76 0.72
Practical directions 94 7 4 8 0.94 0.59 0.54
Drugdrug interaction 91 16 4 2 0.90 0.20 0.09
Drugdisease interaction 86 19 2 6 0.89 0.36 0.29
Duplication 106 0 0 7 1.00 1.00 1.00
Duration 94 5 1 13 0.97 0.81 0.78
Overall
w
49 11 4 49 0.87 0.87 0.74
After discussion between raters
Indication 106 1 0 6 1.00 0.92 0.92
Effectiveness 94 2 1 16 0.98 0.91 0.90
Dosage 92 1 3 17 0.98 0.89 0.87
Correct directions 95 0 2 16 0.99 0.94 0.93
Practical directions 97 4 1 11 0.97 0.81 0.79
Drugdrug interaction 95 10 0 8 0.95 0.62 0.57
Drugdisease interaction 92 8 0 13 0.96 0.76 0.73
Duplication 106 0 0 7 1.00 1.00 1.00
Duration 95 1 0 17 0.99 0.97 0.97
Overall
w
50 7 2 54 0.92 0.92 0.84
Note: Cost (10th criterion) was not included in the analysis, because an explicit source for comparing the costs of drugs in Belgium was used instead.
*A kappa statistic of 0.400.75 denotes good interrater reliability, and a kappa value40.75 denotes excellent reproducibility.
w
Drugs overall appropriateness (inappropriate if 1 of the 10 items were rated as inappropriate).
A5appropriate according to both raters; B5appropriate according to clinical pharmacist, inappropriate according to geriatrician; C5appropriate according to
geriatrician, inappropriate according to clinical pharmacist; D5inappropriate according to both raters.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 721 JAGS APRIL 2006VOL. 54, NO. 4
4. Schmader KE, Hanlon JT, Pieper CF et al. Effects of geriatric evaluation and
management on adverse drug reactions and suboptimal prescribing in the frail
elderly. Am J Med 2004;116:394401.
5. Hajjar ER, Hanlon JT, Sloane RJ et al. Unnecessary drug use in frail
older people at hospital discharge. J Am Geriatr Soc 2005;53:1518
1523.
6. Crotty M, Rowett D, Spurling L et al. Does the addition of a pharmacist
transition coordinator improve evidence-based medication management and
health outcomes in older adults moving from the hospital to a long-term care
facility? Results of a randomized, controlled trial. Am J Geriatr Pharmacother
2004;2:257264.
7. Samsa GP, Hanlon JT, Schmader KE et al. A summated score for the
medication appropriateness index: Development and assessment of clinimetric
properties including content validity. J Clin Epidemiol 1994;47:891896.
8. Fitzgerald LS, Hanlon JT, Shelton PS et al. Reliability of a modied medication
appropriateness index in ambulatory older persons. Ann Pharmacother 1997;
31:543548.
9. Kassam R, Martin LG, Farris KB. Reliability of a modied medication appro-
priateness index in community pharmacies. Ann Pharmacother 2003;37:4046.
10. Bregnhoj L, Thirstrup S, Kristensen MB et al. Reliability of a modied med-
ication appropriateness index in primary care. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2005;
61:769773.
PLEURODESIS WITH CARBOPLATIN IN ELDERLY
PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANT PLEURAL EFFUSION
AND LUNG ADENOCARCINOMA
To the Editor: Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the
leading cause of cancer deaths in industrialized countries.
Pleuritis carcinomatosa and malignant pleural effusion
(MPE) sometimes accompany the peripheral type of ade-
nocarcinoma of NSCLC.
1
MPE that is poorly controlled by
systemic chemotherapy is often treated with pleurodesis
using intrapleural injection of OK-432
2
or cisplatin
3
as ir-
ritants to create inammation, which tacks the two pleura
together and prevents the reaccumulation of uid. Treat-
ment with cisplatin for MPE is effective and results in good
long-term control of respiratory symptoms such as dyspnea
on exertion,
3
but treatment with OK-432 often brings
about persistent fever or chest pain, which further decreases
quality of life in elderly patients with NSCLC.
2
Further-
more, pleurodesis with cisplatin needs sufcient hydration
to avoid direct renal damage by cisplatin and is prohibited
in patients with renal insufciency or heart failure.
4
Alter-
natively, carboplatin, a derivative of platinum, has lower
toxicity to renal function than cisplatin and can be used in
patients with renal insufciency with a calculated dose us-
ing the Calvert formula,
5
although pleurodesis with car-
boplatin for MPE in elderly patients with renal insufciency
has not been reported.
Pleurodesis using carboplatin was performed to control
MPE accompanied by lung adenocarcinoma in three elderly
patients with poor performance status and renal insuf-
ciency suffering from dyspnea between June 2000 and Jan-
uary 2005, as shown in Table 1. The staging of primary lung
cancer was determined using computed tomography scans
of the brain, chest, and abdomen; a positron emission
tomography scan; and a Technetium-99mscintigramof the
bone. Performance status was rated using the Eastern Co-
operative Oncology Group scale.
6
The lung cancer cell type
was determined using histological or cytological diagnosis
using bronchoscopy or thoracic puncture. Renal function
was assessed using a 24-hour creatinine clearance test
to estimate the dose of carboplatin before pleurodesis. Fur-
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722 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR APRIL 2006VOL. 54, NO. 4 JAGS