Prevalence of concomitant medications in older HIV+ patients and comparison with general population

AbstractObjective:The increasing population of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected elderly patients results in a higher number of comorbidities and greater incidence of polypharmacy in addition to antiretroviral therapy (ART). The aim of this study is to describe the use of concomitant medication in older HIV-infected patients and to compare it with older general population.Methods:The study included HIV-positive outpatients (>49 years) who received ART in 2011. Co-medication dispensed by pharmacies in that year was collected. Defined daily dose (DDD) for each drug was calculated by patient. A comparison was made between the use of co-medication among men between 50 and 64 years old in general population against the HIV-infected population.Results:The study was based on 118 patients (77% men), of which 82% took at least one co-medication and 58% at least five. The commonest co-medications used by HIV-positive patients were antibiotics (44%); analgesics (44%); anti-inflammatories (39%); antacids (3...