Table 3 Age and sex-standardized prevalence of Potentially Inappropriate Medications (PIMs) dispensations by year and Annual Percent Change (APC), France, 2011–2019

At least one PIM during the year

Overall

2,884,533

49.6

2,872,892

47.2

2,776,084

45.0

2,639,705

42.4

2,506,266

39.6

−1.19

−1.35 to − 1.04

< 10⁻³

75 to 84 years^b

1,981,813

49.1

1,912,282

46.3

1,792,775

43.9

1,656,516

41.3

1,548,856

38.2

−1.33^d

− 1.49 to − 1.18

< 10^− 3

≥85 years

902,720

50.5

960,610

48.7

983,309

47.0

983,189

44.5

957,410

42.1

−0.98

− 1.15 to − 0.80

< 10^− 3

Women^c

1,979,027

54.9

1,953,753

52.3

1,885,850

50.2

1,787,788

47.6

168,9605

44.6

−1.11^d

− 1.37 to −0.95

< 10⁻³

Men

905,506

41.6

919,139

39.4

890,234

37.2

851,917

34.8

816,661

32.2

−1.37

−1.53 to − 1.20

< 10⁻³

PIMs related to benzodiazepines

Overall

2,018,057

34.7

1,972,800

32.4

1,904,170

30.9

1,810,059

29.1

1,700,774

26.9

−1.34

−1.50 to − 1.17

< 10⁻³

75 to 84 years

1,350,688

33.3

1,265,982

30.6

1,178,821

28.8

1,083,488

27.0

997,878

24.6

−1.58^d

−1.77 to − 1.38

< 10⁻³

≥85 years

667,369

37.2

706,818

35.8

725,349

34.6

726,571

32.9

702,896

30.9

−0.98

−1.18 to − 0.79

< 10⁻³

Women

1,450,852

40.4

1,407,923

37.9

1,355,991

36.2

1,284,959

34.2

1,205,028

31.8

−1.25^d

−1.41 to − 1.10

< 10⁻³

Men

567,205

26.2

564,877

24.3

548,179

23.0

525,100

21.5

495,746

19.6

−1.54

−1.74 to − 1.33

< 10⁻³

PIMs related to anticholinergic drugs

Overall

709,468

12.1

701,028

11.4

633,505

10.2

569,508

9.2

522,718

8.3

−2.13

−2.47 to − 1.78

< 10^− 3

75 to 84 years

499,332

12.4

485,706

11.7

429,227

10.5

380,713

9.5

349,344

8.6

−2.01^d

−2.35 to −1.66

< 10⁻³

≥85 years

210,136

11.7

215,322

10.9

204,278

9.8

188,795

8.6

173,374

7.6

−2.38

− 2.73 to − 2.02

< 10^− 3

Women

493,035

13.6

480,512

12.8

434,565

11.5

389,517

10.4

354,392

9.3

−2.07

− 2.37 to −1.76

< 10⁻³

Men

216,433

9.9

220,516

9.4

198,940

8.3

179,991

7.3

168,326

6.6

−2.26

−2.69 to − 1.82

< 10⁻³

PIMs related to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Overall

681,835

11.4

654,359

10.6

609,660

9.8

543,332

8.7

495,720

7.8

−2.04

−2.33 to −1.74

< 10⁻³

75 to 84 years

524,764

13.0

498,100

12.1

460,543

11.3

406,396

10.1

369,103

9.1

−1.92^d

−2.24 to − 1.59

< 10⁻³

≥85 years

157,071

8.8

156,259

7.9

149,117

7.1

136,936

6.2

126,617

5.6

−2.49

−2.70 to − 2.28

< 10⁻³

Women

454,173

12.2

429,707

11.3

396,996

10.4

349,987

9.3

314,041

8.3

−2.10

−2.43 to − 1.77

< 10⁻³

Men

227,662

10.2

224,652

9.5

212,664

8.8

193,345

7.9

181,679

7.2

−1.93

−2.17 to − 1.68

< 10⁻³

PIMs related to antihypertensive drugs

Overall

426,370

7.4

424,198

7.0

407,924

6.6

400,491

6.4

377,277

6.0

−1.11

−1.33 to − 0.89

< 10⁻³

75 to 84 years

283,332

7.1

271,646

6.6

252,385

6.2

239,416

6.0

220,602

5.4

−1.34^d

−1.60 to − 1.07

< 10⁻³

≥85 years

143,038

8.0

152,552

7.7

155,539

7.4

161,075

7.3

156,675

6.9

−0.77

−0.95 to − 0.60

< 10⁻²

Women

280,767

7.9

277,127

7.5

266,357

7.1

260,549

6.9

244,282

6.4

−1.03^d

−1.24 to −0.81

< 10⁻³

Men

145,603

6.7

147,071

6.3

141,567

5.9

139,942

5.7

132,995

5.2

−1.26

−1.49 to − 1.03

< 10⁻³

Use of 0 to 4 drugs

Overall

1,415,619

24.6

1,498,596

24.7

1,509,145

24.5

1,578,364

25.5

1,665,214

26.3

0.36

0.02 to 0.70

0.06

75 to 84 years

1,005,103

25.3

1,060,470

25.9

1,063,760

26.2

1,095,682

27.4

1,167,749

28.8

0.68^d

0.40 to 0.96

< 10⁻²

≥85 years

410,516

23.2

438,126

22.4

445,385

21.4

482,682

21.9

497,465

21.9

−0.29

−0.76 to 0.17

0.18

Women

804,459

22.4

853,953

22.9

860,417

22.9

902,260

24.0

952,630

25.1

0.60^d

0.26 to 0.94

0.02

Men

611,160

27.9

644,643

27.4

648,728

27.0

676,104

27.6

712,584

28.1

0.05

−0.28 to 0.39

0.72

Polypharmacy (5 to 9 drugs)

Overall

2,603,266

44.9

2,825,898

46.5

2,911,467

47.3

2938,832

47.3

3,022,030

47.8

0.31

0.09 to 0.54

0.03

75 to 84 years

1,830,378

45.7

1,927,386

46.9

1,930,113

47.4

1,894,051

47.3

1,918,708

47.3

0.17^d

−0.03 to 0.37

0.11

≥85 years

410,516

23.2

898,512

45.8

981,354

47.1

1,044,781

47.4

1,103,322

48.6

0.56

0.29 to 0.83

0.01

Women

1,634,704

45.3

1,759,414

47.1

1,801,866

47.9

1,805,522

48.0

1,838,757

48.5

0.34

0.09 to 0.59

0.03

Men

968,562

44.3

1,066,484

45.6

1,109,601

46.3

1,133,310

46.3

1,183,273

46.7

0.26

0.07 to 0.45

0.03

Hyper-polypharmacy (≥ 10 drugs)

Overall

1,758,760

30.5

1,744,248

28.8

1,731,249

28.2

1,689,777

27.2

1,640,911

25.9

−0.83

−1.00 to −0.66

< 10⁻³

75 to 84 years

1,165,062

29.0

1,118,556

27.2

1,073,305

26.4

1,013,972

25.3

969,317

23.9

−0.99^d

−1.17 to − 0.80

< 10⁻³

≥85 years

593,698

33.3

625,692

31.9

657,944

31.5

675,805

30.7

671,594

29.6

−0.60

−0.78 to − 0.43

< 10⁻²

Women

1,157,259

32.3

1,117,310

30.0

1,093,833

29.2

1,050,732

27.9

1,001,171

26.4

−1.03^d

−1.24 to −0.82

< 10⁻³

Men

601,501

27.9

626,938

27.0

637,416

26.7

639,045

26.1

639,740

25.2

−0.50

−0.63 to − 0.37

< 10⁻²

≥ 3 CNS active drugs

Overall

531,238

9.1

505,660

8.3

506,209

8.2

490,615

7.9

460,813

7.3

−1.07

−1.51 to −0.63

< 10⁻²

75 to 84 years

349,484

8.6

322,955

7.8

311,817

7.6

292,112

7.3

268,465

6.6

−1.25

−1.69 to −0.81

< 10⁻²

≥85 years

181,754

10.1

182,705

9.2

194,392

9.2

198,503

9.0

192,348

8.5

−0.81

−1.27 to − 0.35

0.02

Women

412,114

11.5

389,357

10.5

387,558

10.3

373,699

9.9

348,670

9.2

−1.07

−1.51 to −0.64

< 10⁻²

Men

119,124

5.5

116,303

5.0

118,651

5.0

116,916

4.8

112,143

4.4

−1.05

−1.51 to −0.59

< 10⁻²