Abstract
Background: Physiological, physical, and mental changes along with chronic diseases require the elderly to use multiple drugs. In this study, the status of drug administration in the elderly was investigated.
Methods: In this retrospective community-based cross-sectional study, the data of 1362 people aged≥60 years in Tabriz were collected by trained interviewers from July 2019 to January 2020. The data received included demographic variables and the status of drugs used, which were evaluated based on the 2022 edition of the Beers Criteria. Data analysis was done by Microsoft Excel version 2016 and Stata statistical software package (Release 16. College Station, TX: StataCorp LP).
Results: The mean and standard deviation of the drug number used by participants were estimated to be 3.72±3.09. According to the Beers criteria, 28% of all used drugs were inappropriate for the elderly, and 62% of participants used at least one inappropriate medicine. Furthermore, the most common inappropriate drugs were from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, benzodiazepines, cardiovascular, and anticonvulsants, including aspirin, gabapentin, diclofenac sodium, glyburide, and triamterene.
Conclusion: The use of inappropriate drugs in the elderly had a relatively high prevalence. In addition, the number of drug items used in more than one-third of the elderly indicated polypharmacy. The consequences of taking inappropriate and multiple drugs require the design and implementation of effective interventions in this regard, the findings of this study can provide evidence for policymakers and decision-makers in the health system.