Consumption of medications in elderly and risks of polypharmacotherapy - do we have adequate information?
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2010 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Belgorod state university scinetific bulletin.Medicine Pharmacy |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Cardiovascular diseases incl. cardiosurgery |
| Keywords | pharmacotherapy in elderly; over the counter drugs; polypragmasia; drug interactions; compliance; unwanted side effects |
| Description | Background: Drug interactions and unwanted side effects can cause up to 30% of admissions of elderly patiens to the hospital. The massive OTC medications advertisement provokes considerations, how many of these non prescribed drugs we must calculate to be able to guess the probability of drug interactions and unwanted side effects. On the other hand they can influence negatively the patients compliance. Patiens and methods: Students of 6th year of medical faculty going through their pregraduate practice interviewed randomly selected seniors treated by their general practitioners. They asked for number, kinds and costs of OTC medications. These interview were done during years 2001/2002 and results were compared with interviews done in years 2004/2005. Results: Alltogether 252 women and 148 men of average age 78,7 years were interviewed. The number of OTC drugs increased from 2,26 to 2,32 kinds of drugs. These OTC medicaments were not bought at all by 34% of pateints, 66% of seniors referred weekly or monthly buying of these medicaments. Considering different kinds of OTC drugs 44% of seniors buy pain killers, 58% vitamins, 37% food supplements, 36% non steroid antiinflammatory drugs, 46% drugs against common could, 30% laxatives. General practitioners were informed about taken OTC by 20% of OTC byuers only. Conclusions: Two thirds of seniors buy OTCs, so their polypragmasia becomes even more complicated. The most important potential among OTCs These results should remember the necessarity of thorough assessment of patiens as for all used drugs. |