"Ok, But What Should I Use Instead?" Alternatives to Medications on the AGS Beers Criteria®

Moderator: Todd P. Semla, MS, PharmD

Last updated in 2023, the AGS Beers Criteria® remain one of the most frequently cited reference tools in geriatrics, detailing certain types of medications which may be inappropriate to prescribe to older people who are not receiving end of life care. AGS is now developing an accompanying tool to help health care providers find appropriate alternatives to those drugs.  AGS convened a work group of experts across a variety of syndromes and diseases to develop a list of alternative treatments (pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic) to select drugs and conditions listed in the 2023 AGS Beers Criteria®. The presentation will focus on these alternatives, insights from the process of selecting them, and considerations for using these in clinical practice. Learning Objectives: (1) review how the AGS Beers Criteria® Alternatives List was developed; (2)describe selected recommendations and resources from the AGS Beers Criteria® Alternatives for allergy & pruritis; (3) describe selected recommendations and resources from the AGS Beers Criteria® Alternatives for insomnia, anxiety, GERD and nocturia;  (4) describe how to best implement the Alternatives List in clinical practice.