OBJECTIVE To compare five com monly used judgment criteria for potentially inappropriate medication （PIM）in the elderly ，and to provide reference for clinical selection of appropriate PIM evaluation tools for the elderly. METHODS From the aspects of applicable age ，content and scale characteristics ，five commonly used PIM judgment criteria for the elderly at home and abroad were analyzed and compared ，namely Beer ’s criteria ，STOPP/START v 2 criteria，ACOVE 3 criteria，PIM-Check criteria and“Judgment Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication for Chinese Elderly ”（Chinese criteria ）. RESULTS The five standards both overlapped and focused in terms of scale characteristics. In each study ，the incidence of PIM was different according to different standards. Proton pump inhibitors ，diuretics，non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and anticoagulants were the most frequently occurring PIM drugs for the elderly. CONCLUSIONS Combining with the specific conditions of patients and fully considering the benefits and risks of treatment ，rational selection and combination of five PIM judgment criteria ，and necessary supplements to my country ’s PIM judgment criteria ，will help clinicians and pharmacists to improve the efficacy and safety of the medication in the elderly patients.