TY - JOUR
T1 - Polypharmacy among the elderly in the Republic of Srpska
T2 - extent and implications for the future
AU - Marković-Peković, Vanda
AU - Škrbić, Ranko
AU - Petrović, Aleksandar
AU - Vlahović-Palčevski, Vera
AU - Mrak, Jana
AU - Bennie, Marion
AU - Fadare, Joseph
AU - Kwon, Hye-Young
AU - Schiffers, Krijn
AU - Truter, Ilse
AU - Godman, Brian
PY - 2015/12/15
Y1 - 2015/12/15
N2 - Prescribing of medicines is a fundamental component of care for the elderly. However, increasing concern with polypharmacy and its impact on morbidity, mortality and costs. Analyze long-term prescription use and the prevalence of polypharmacy in the elderly in the Republic of Srpska. Subsequently use the findings to suggest potential future measures. Retrospective study of all elderly patients 2005 to 2010 stratified by age group (3 groups), sex and long term medicine use. Polypharmacy (5 or more medicines) increased from 1.4% of the elderly taking medicines long term to 3.6% by 2010, with 53.6% of elderly taking 2 or more medicines long term. Most prevalent diseases were cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Most prescriptions were in accordance with recent guidelines. However, concern with appreciable prescribing of digoxin and aminophylline. Whilst polypharmacy rates low in the Republic, increasing rates are a concern. Further studies are planned.
AB - Prescribing of medicines is a fundamental component of care for the elderly. However, increasing concern with polypharmacy and its impact on morbidity, mortality and costs. Analyze long-term prescription use and the prevalence of polypharmacy in the elderly in the Republic of Srpska. Subsequently use the findings to suggest potential future measures. Retrospective study of all elderly patients 2005 to 2010 stratified by age group (3 groups), sex and long term medicine use. Polypharmacy (5 or more medicines) increased from 1.4% of the elderly taking medicines long term to 3.6% by 2010, with 53.6% of elderly taking 2 or more medicines long term. Most prevalent diseases were cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Most prescriptions were in accordance with recent guidelines. However, concern with appreciable prescribing of digoxin and aminophylline. Whilst polypharmacy rates low in the Republic, increasing rates are a concern. Further studies are planned.
KW - polypharmacy
KW - drug utilisation
KW - Republic of Srpska
KW - guidelines
KW - cardiovascular disease
UR - http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ierp20#.VjNzNyvYHGY
U2 - 10.1586/14737167.2016.1115347
DO - 10.1586/14737167.2016.1115347
M3 - Article
C2 - 26671843
SN - 1473-7167
JO - Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research
JF - Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research
ER -
