Polypharmacy, inappropriate medication use and associated factors among brazilian older adults

Abstract Background Population aging is still an important worldwide phenomenon. Elderly people suffer from multiple chronic diseases that require the use of several drugs, and this demographic scenario fosters the increased prescription of multiple drugs, or Polypharmacy (PP) and Potentially Inappropriate Medication (PIM). Objective This study aimed to identify the prevalence rates and associated factors of PP and PIM in Brazilian older adults. Method The prevalence of PIM use and PP was estimated in a sample of 222 patients enrolled in the Family Health Program in Niteroi, Brazil. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the data. Age and sex were kept in the models as potential confounding factors. Results PP and PIM use presented prevalence rates of 23.9 and 24.8%, respectively. PP was associated with body mass index, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and a number of comorbidities, whereas PIM use was associated with PP. Conclusion The prevalence rates of PP and PIM use found were lower than those reported in previous studies. This could be a result of differences in availability of drugs or prescribing habits. Multiple chronic diseases were associated with PP. These results suggest that more care should be taken in prescribing for the elderly population.