(109) Evaluating Drug Use Patterns in Hospitalized Elderly: A Study on Polypharmacy and Compliance

Background: The growing elderly population faces unique healthcare challenges, notably in medication management. Polypharmacy, the concurrent use of multiple medications, is prevalent among hospitalized elderly patients, increasing the risk of drug-related problems and affecting treatment outcomes.

Objectives: To assess the patterns of drug utilization pattern amongst the hospitalized elderly patients, using WHO core prescribing indicators to assess the rationality of prescribed regimens and the adherence to international guidelines.

Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the Departments of geriatrics and general medicine wherein all elderly patients (aged ≥60 years) admitted for at least 48 hours were enrolled. Treatment charts and medical orders were classified under the anatomical, chemical, and therapeutical classification (ATC) system. The drug utilization pattern among the elderly was assessed using World Health Organization (WHO) core prescribing indicators.

Results: A total of 282 patients were admitted to the study site over a period of six months. The most common type of comorbidities among elderly were found to be Hypertension [162 (57.44%)] followed by Type 2 Diabetes mellitus [119 (42.19%)] and Anaemia [46 (16.31%)]. Average number of drugs prescribed per prescription was 11.14 (<3%). A total of 5.88% of drugs were prescribed in their generic names and were in accordance with the WHO indicators. Average number of antibiotics prescribed per patient was found to be 10.77 ( < 30%). The number of injectable dosage forms that were prescribed were 36.3%. A total of 52.83% of prescribed medicines were from the National Essential Drugs list. There was an increased use of medicines in this population group [182 (64.53%)] due to the intercurrent illness.

Conclusions: The rationalization of poly-pharmacy regimens for elderly hospitalised patients should be given more thought. Therefore, it is crucial to assess patient compliance with medication for better therapeutic outcomes.