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Factors associated with multiple medication use in different age groups
Janne Moen1, Karolina Antonov, Charlotte A Larsson
1Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. moen.janne@gmail.com
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy
|November 19, 2009
Summary
Multiple medicine use is common and linked to health issues like diabetes and poor self-rated health. Understanding these patterns can improve prescribing quality across adult lifespans.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
Background:
- Polypharmacy is prevalent in older adults due to long-term treatment regimens.
- Understanding the development of multiple medication use can enhance prescribing quality throughout adulthood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize patterns of multiple medicine use in the Swedish general population.
- To investigate associations between multiple medicine use and sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health status factors.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of cross-sectional population health survey data (2001-2005) from 2816 Swedish residents (aged 30-75).
- Multiple medicine use defined as the 75th percentile of prescription drug use (highest 25% of users).
Main Results:
- 71% used some drug; 51.5% used prescription drugs; 38.4% used over-the-counter (OTC) drugs; 8.3% used herbal preparations.
- Multiple medicine use thresholds varied by age: 2+ for 30-49, 3+ for 50-64, 5+ for 65-75.
- Diabetes and poor self-rated health were associated with multiple medicine use across all age groups. Female sex, hypertension, smoking, and obesity showed age-specific associations.
Conclusions:
- Multiple medicine use is significantly associated with morbidity and poor self-rated health in adults aged 30-75.
- The majority of individuals using multiple medications take unique combinations of drugs, highlighting complex treatment profiles.
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