Prevalence and Risk of Polypharmacy among Community-Dwelling, Elderly Kuwaiti Patients

• Published in: Medical principles and practice Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 166 - 173
• Main Authors: Badawy, Nabil Ahmed, Labeeb, Shokria Adely, Alsamdan, Mawaheb Falah, Alazemi, Badria Faleh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland S. Karger AG 01.02.2020
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Chronic illnesses; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drug Utilization - statistics & numerical data; Female; Humans; Independent Living; Kuwait; Male; Older people; Original Paper; Polypharmacy; Prescription drugs; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Kuwait; Comorbidity; Elderly; Polypharmacy
• ISSN: 1011-7571; 1423-0151; 1423-0151
• DOI: 10.1159/000503298

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of polypharmacy in community-dwelling, older Kuwaiti patients, describe the number and types of drugs used, and identify risk factors associated with polypharmacy. Subjects and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey in which we interviewed 500 community-dwelling Kuwaiti adults over 65 years of age. The data collection occurred during a 4-month period from March to July 2017. Results: Fifty-two percent (n = 260) of the patients were males, with a mean age of 71.73 ± 5.32 years. The prevalence of polypharmacy (5–8 drugs) and excessive polypharmacy (>8 drugs) was 58.4% (n = 292) and 10.2% (n = 51), respectively. The risk factors associated with an increased number of medicines used were: female gender (p = 0.019), a lower level of education (p = 0.003), a high number of hospital admissions (p = 0.000), clinics visited by the patient (p =0.000), and number of comorbidities (p = 0.000). The most commonly used medications (82.6% of the study population) were blood glucose-lowering agents, excluding insulin. Other commonly used medications were antihypertensive drugs and lipid-modifying agents. Conclusion: A significant sector of the older Kuwaiti patient population has a high prevalence of polypharmacy and is thus exposed to its potential hazards. The current study highlights the need to revise the drug-dispensing policy among community-dwelling, older Kuwaiti people, as well as to initiate educational programs among healthcare practitioners concerning prescribing issues in older individuals.