Evaluation of polypharmacy and complementary therapy use in patients ≥65 years, attending to Family Medicine Outpatient Clinic of fiiflli Etfal Training and Research Hospital

Abstract

Objective: Today, as the prevalence of chronic diseases increase, the elderly people use more drugs. The aim of our study is to evaluate the frequency of polypharmacy and complementary therapy and their relation with sociodemographic features in 65 and over age group attending to our policlinics.

Methods: Patients ≥65 years, applied to Family Medicine Outpatient Clinic of fiiflli Etfal Training and Research Hospital between SeptemberOctober 2012 included in this descriptive, study. To evaluate the sociodemographic features, mediciation and complementary therapy use, a questionnare was applied by face to face method.

Results: A total of 100 people participated in the study; 73 (73%) were female and 27 (27%) were male and the mean age was 73.42±6.81; and the most of them (43%) were primary school graduates. As chronical diseases hypertension (80%), hyperlipidemia (47%), diabetes (46%) and gastrointestinal diseases (41%) were common in patients. 91% of the elderly were using 3 and more drugs at least for 3 months. 88% of them were taking their medicines themselves and 12% with aid. 39% of them did not know the side effects of their drugs. While 24% of the participants were sometimes forgetting to take their drugs, 62.5% of them were putting the drugs on a visible place at home. Analgesics were the most used (60.6%) drugs among the patients who use medication without a doctor recommendation (33%). 59% of them were using herbal products and lime was the first choice (66.1%). 43% of the participants were taking vitamin or mineral supplements. 32.6% (n=14) of them were using multi-vitamin, 30% (n=13) calcium and vitamin D, 18.6% (n=8) were using vitamin B12. Vitamin and mineral supplement use increased as the education level was increased (p=0.003).

Conclusions: It was determined that polypharmacy was very common among elderly who were included in our study. Herbal products, vitamin and mineral supplement use were common especially in high educated patients. These complementary therapies make the drug use more complex. The informed guidance of the individuals ≥65 years and their relatives on polypharmacy would be appropriate.