KMID : 1039620200100020136
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Korean Journal of Family Practice 2020 Volume.10 No. 2 p.136 ~ p.142
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Prevalence and Predictors of Polypharmacy among Elderly Outpatients in a Public Hospital
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Koo Hyou-Jung
Kim Min-Ju Park Han Chae Ji-Eun Kim Jung-A Park Ki-Hyun Kim Moo-Young
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Abstract
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Background: Polypharmacy, the use of multiple drugs, is a growing concern in older adults. It has been reported that the prevalence of polypharmacy in elderly patients is higher in Korea than in other countries. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of polypharmacy in elderly outpatients who visited a Seoul Medical Center.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 12,551 elderly patients aged ¡Ã65 years who visited outpatient clinics in a public hospital in Seoul between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018. We defined ¡°polypharmacy¡± as the use of ¡Ã6 medications per person; ¡°major polypharmacy,¡± ¡Ã11 medications per person; and ¡°excessive polypharmacy,¡± ¡Ã21 medications per person. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to investigate the risk factors for polypharmacy.
Results: Among the elderly outpatients studied, 40.7% had polypharmacy, 11.9% major polypharmacy, and 0.8% excessive polypharmacy. The lowerincome medical aid population is associated with polypharmacy (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.47?1.97).
Conclusion: We observed a high prevalence of polypharmacy in elderly outpatients, especially the medical aid population, who visited a Korean public hospital. Nationwide vigorous efforts to assess and reduce the prevalence of polypharmacy are urgently required for the Korean older population.
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KEYWORD
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Elderly, Polypharmacy, Public Hospital, Outpatient
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