Evaluation of polypharmacy and its effects in geriatric age group patients applying to the internal diseases outpatient clinic: Polypharmacy and geriatry

Sinem Gürcü; Melisa  Tekin Şahin; Pınar Yıldız; Göknur Yorulmaz

doi:10.5281/zenodo.7058888

Authors

Sinem Gürcü Eskişehir City Hospital, Department of Pharmacy, Eskişehir, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8534-7369
Melisa Tekin Şahin Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Eskişehir, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4077-7258
Pınar Yıldız Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Eskişehir, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3625-9829
Göknur Yorulmaz Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Eskişehir, Turkey https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8596-9344

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7058888

Keywords:

Drug-drug interaction, geriatrics, polypharmacy

Abstract

Objective: The world population is aging and the elderly population is trying to cope with chronic diseases and multiple drug use. Polypharmacy can be defined as the combined use of four or more drugs. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes of drugs and drug-drug interactions in old age may affect this age group much more. In the study, it was aimed to determine the levels of drug interactions in geriatric age group patient prescriptions.

Methods: In this study, drug-drug interactions were investigated in outpatients over the age of 65 who had 4 or more drugs prescribed. A total of 119 prescriptions were included in the study. The average number of drugs in prescriptions is 5.23 (min 4 max 12).

Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the mean age of men and women in the study. The group of drugs that interact most frequently is antidiabetic drugs. In second place are diuretics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor drugs are in the third place.

Conclusion: Prevention of polypharmacy and its related problems will benefit both the patient and the cost. By avoiding polypharmacy or at least by following guidelines when prescribing, geriatric patients' drug compliance will increase, all side effects and interactions that may be caused by inappropriate drug use will be kept to a minimum, and possible hospitalizations and health expenses will be reduced in this way.

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