Abstract
Objective
To analyze the frequency of polypharmacy and the prescription of Potentially Inappropriate Medications (PIM) according to the Beers Criteria and CBMPI in older adults with clinical-functional vulnerability.
Method
This is a cross-sectional study where the medical records of 496 participants aged 60 and older, seen in their first appointment at a Gerontological Polyclinic, were analyzed. Sociodemographic data, medications, the Clinical-Functional Vulnerability Index-20 (IVCF-20), and falls were extracted from the medical records. Polypharmacy was defined as the simultaneous use of five or more medications. Participants were classified into three groups: robust, at risk, and vulnerable.
Results
The analysis revealed that 69 (13.91%) participants were using polypharmacy. Among polypharmacy users, 40 (57.97%) were using at least one PIM. The most commonly found PIM were glibenclamide and omeprazole, respectively. Older adults with vulnerability were three times more likely to have polypharmacy (OR 3.59; 95% CI 2.109-6.092).
Conclusion
The use of polypharmacy and PIM in this study was associated with the vulnerability of older adults, emphasizing the need for a thorough evaluation of medication prescriptions for this population.
Keywords
Polypharmacy; Potentially Inappropriate Medications; Vulnerability; Older Adults