Drug use in an ambulatory elderly population: a five-year update

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Pharmacology
• Public Health

Background:

• The aging population necessitates understanding medication use patterns in the elderly.
• Previous data on drug consumption in this demographic is limited.
• The study addresses changes in medication and supplement use over a five-year period.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in prescription and nonprescription drug usage among an ambulatory elderly population.
• To compare current drug use with data from five years prior.
• To identify commonly used medications and nutritional supplements in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study design was employed.
• Data was collected from 2834 ambulatory elderly participants in Dunedin, Florida.
• Drug usage patterns were compared between two five-year periods (1978-80 vs. 1983-85).

Main Results:

• The average number of medications per person increased from 3.2 to 3.7.
• Most common prescription drugs included hydrochlorothiazide-triamterene, digoxin, and hydrochlorothiazide.
• Significant increases in nutritional supplement use were observed, particularly vitamin E (18.0%) and vitamin C (15.7%).

Conclusions:

• Elderly individuals are increasingly using multiple medications and nutritional supplements.
• This observed increase in polypharmacy among seniors warrants further investigation.
• Current medication trends in the elderly deviate from the geriatric principle of using the fewest drugs possible.