Prevalence of polypharmacy in Denmark

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Clinical Pharmacy

Background:

• Polypharmacy is a growing concern associated with adverse health outcomes in the elderly.
• Understanding medication use patterns is crucial for improving patient safety and healthcare strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of polypharmacy among older Danish citizens.
• To describe medication use patterns in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• Utilized national registers to extract medication data for the entire Danish population in early 2016.
• Analyzed medicine redemption data by age group and region.
• Grouped frequently redeemed medicines into clinically relevant classes for citizens aged 75 years and older.

Main Results:

• Polypharmacy (> 5 different medicines) was prevalent in 51% of citizens aged 75+ years, significantly higher than the 12% in the general population.
• Prevalence increased with age, reaching 66% in those aged 90+ years, with minimal regional variation.
• Top medication classes for older adults included pain relievers (paracetamol, tramadol), cardiovascular drugs (acetylsalicylic acid, simvastatin, metoprolol), and gastrointestinal agents (pantoprazole).

Conclusions:

• Polypharmacy is highly prevalent in Denmark, particularly among the elderly, with no significant regional disparities.
• The study underscores the need for targeted interventions to manage polypharmacy in aging populations.
• Pain and cardiovascular medications are the most commonly redeemed by older citizens, indicating key areas for medication review.