[Chronic pathologies and pharmaceutical expenditure in persons over the age of 65]

For purposes of the present study of people over 65 attending a particular Health Centre, we aimed to discover and inter-relate their morbidity due to chronic illnesses, their frequency of attendance, and the total average outlay of drugs on them.

Descriptive crossover study. Information on the clinical histories was gathered over a one-year period (July 1990 to June '91). SITE. Within the Primary Care framework: at the Vite Health Centre in Santiago de Compostela.

The population aged 65 or over and with medical records in the said centre. A representative sample of this population (n = 240), obtained by systematic sampling, was worked with.

The sample's average age was 73.6 +/- 6.7 years. Arterial Hypertension (AHT) was the most common chronic illness. AHT, LCFA/Asthma, Hyperlipemia and digestive pathology showed significant differences between men and women. The average number of medical consultations per person per year was 11.5 +/- 0.82, with no significant differences as to sex and age. The average outlay per person per year was 27,610 pesetas +/- 38,688, with an average cost per consultation of 2,750 pesetas +/- 5,158.7. The chronic illnesses that produced a higher average total cost were heart diseases. Significant differences were shown between the number of chronic illnesses and the average total cost.

The presence, number and nature of chronic illnesses are the factors affecting higher outlay in medication.