2023 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria® for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults.
Medication:
traMADol (Ultram)
Criteria 2: Potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults due to drug–disease or drug–syndrome interactions that may exacerbate the disease or syndrome. (Table 3)
Drug(s) ⇆ disease or syndrome
opioids ⇄ Delirium
Rationale
Avoid in older adults with or at high risk of delirium because of the potential of inducing or worsening delirium. Opioids: emerging data highlights an association between opioid administration and delirium. For older adults with pain, use a balanced approach, including the use of validated pain assessment tools and multimodal strategies that include nondrug approaches to minimize opioid use.
Recommendation
Avoid, except in situations listed under the rationale statement.
Quality of evidence: Moderate, Strength of Recommendation: Strong
Drug(s) ⇆ disease or syndrome
opioids ⇄ History of falls or fractures
Rationale
May cause ataxia, impaired psychomotor function, syncope, or additional falls If one of the drugs must be used, consider reducing the use of other CNS-active medications that increase the risk of falls and fractures. (i.e., anticholinergics, selected antidepressants, antiepileptics, antipsychotics, sedative/hypnotics including benzodiazepines and, Nonbenzodiazepine benzodiazepine receptor agonist hypnotics, opioids) and implement other strategies to reduce fall risk.
Recommendation
Avoid except for pain management in the setting if severe acute pain.
Quality of evidence: Moderate, Strength of Recommendation: Strong
Criteria 3: Potentially inappropriate medications: drugs to be used with caution in older adults. (Table 4)
Drug(s)
traMADol
Rationale
May exacerbate or cause SIADH or hyponatremia; monitor sodium levels closely when starting or changing dosages in older adults.
Recommendation
Use with caution
Quality of evidence: Moderate, Strength of Recommendation: Strong
Criteria 4: Potentially clinically important drug-drug interactions that should be avoided in older adults. (Table 5)
Interacting drug(s) or class(es)
opioids ⇄ benzodiazepines
Risk Rationale
Increased risk of overdose and adverse events.
Recommendation
Avoid
Quality of evidence: Moderate, Strength of Recommendation: Strong
Interacting drug(s) or class(es)
opioids ⇄ CNS-active agents
Risk Rationale
Increased risk of falls and of fracture with the concurrent use of ≥3 CNS-active agents (antiepileptics including gabapentinoids, antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, Nonbenzodiazepine benzodiazepine receptor agonist hypnotics, opioids, and skeletal muscle relaxants).
Recommendation
Avoid concurrent use of ≥3 CNS-active drugs Click for list; minimize the number of CNS-active drugs.
Quality of evidence: High, Strength of Recommendation: Strong
Interacting drug(s) or class(es)
opioids ⇄ gabapentin, pregabalin
Risk Rationale
Increased risk of severe sedation-related adverse events, including respiratory depression and death.
Recommendation
Avoid; exceptions are when transitioning from opioid therapy to gabapentin or pregabalin, or when using gabapentinoids to reduce opioid dose, although caution should be used in all circumstances.
Quality of evidence: Moderate, Strength of Recommendation: Strong
Criteria 5: medications that should be avoided or have their dosage reduced with varying levels of kidney function in older adults. (Table 6)
Quality of evidence: Low, Strength of Recommendation: Weak
Pediatric Pharmacy Association 2025 KIDs List of Key Potentially Inappropriate Drugs in Pediatrics
Medication:
traMADol (Ultram)
Key Potentially Inappropriate Drugs in Pediatrics (KIDs) List: Second Edition (Table 1)
Drug
opioids
Risk/Rationale
Respiratory failure, death
Recommendation
Avoid in younger than 12 yr Avoid in 12-18 yr of age after surgery to remove tonsils and/or adenoids Caution in 12-18 yr of age Recommend pharmacogenetic testing
Quality of evidence: Low, Strength of Recommendation: Weak
Opioids: emerging data highlights an association between opioid administration and delirium. For older adults with pain, use a balanced approach, including the use of validated pain assessment tools and multimodal strategies that include nondrug approaches to minimize opioid use.
If one of the drugs must be used, consider reducing the use of other CNS-active medications that increase the risk of falls and fractures. (i.e., anticholinergics, selected antidepressants, antiepileptics, antipsychotics, sedative/hypnotics including benzodiazepines and, Nonbenzodiazepine benzodiazepine receptor agonist hypnotics, opioids) and implement other strategies to reduce fall risk.
Extended-release: avoid
Avoid in 12-18 yr of age after surgery to remove tonsils and/or adenoids
Caution in 12-18 yr of age
Recommend pharmacogenetic testing