[Potentially inappropriate medication: the quality of pharmacotherapy in the elderly].

Potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) in the elderly is a common problem in primary care. Depending on the setting under investigation, recent studies reported a prevalence of PIM up to 24% in Germany. In 2010 the German national PRISCUS list containing explicit criteria to identify PIM was published. First data show a possible association between PIM as defined by the Priscus list and negative health outcomes. However, prospective controlled trials are needed to assess whether interventions based on explicit criteria are able to improve patient-related outcome. Against this backdrop, the present review comments on recent data, especially those with impact for the German health care system.