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Polypharmacy Rates among Patients over 45 years
Irish Medical Journal
|May 3, 2019
Summary
Polypharmacy, the use of five or more medications, affects over 64% of adults aged 45 and older in Ireland. Women and older individuals experience higher rates, highlighting a need for medication review.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
Background:
- Polypharmacy, defined as using five or more medications monthly, is linked to inappropriate prescribing and adverse drug interactions.
- High prevalence of polypharmacy is a recognized international issue, including in Ireland.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a national benchmark for polypharmacy prevalence in Ireland.
- To analyze polypharmacy rates across different genders and age groups within the GMS eligible population.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Health Service Executive Primary Care Reimbursement Services (HSE-PCRS) pharmacy claims database.
- Conducted Chi-square tests to assess statistical significance of medication use differences in adults aged 45 years and older.
Main Results:
- In 2013, 64.3% of 794,628 individuals aged 45+ had polypharmacy.
- Women (67.0%) had higher polypharmacy rates than men (60.8%).
- Polypharmacy increased with age, from 38.6% in 45-54 year olds to 82.6% in those aged 75+.
Conclusions:
- The study establishes a national benchmark for polypharmacy in Ireland.
- High polypharmacy levels necessitate monitoring and evaluation of patient medication regimens for appropriateness.
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