Dataset Information

Prevalence and predictors of polypharmacy among Korean elderly.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Polypharmacy is widespread in the elderly because of their multiple chronic health problems. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and predictors associated with polypharmacy in a nationally representative sample of Korean elderly individuals.

Methods

We used the Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service - National Patient Sample (HIRA-NPS) data from 2010 and 2011. We used information on 319,185 elderly patients (aged 65 years or older) between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011 from the HIRA-NPS database. We defined 'polypharmacy' as the concurrent use of 6 medications or more per person, 'major polypharmacy' as 11 medications or more, and 'excessive polypharmacy' as 21 medications or more. The frequency and proportion (%) and their 95% confidence intervals were presented according to the polypharmacy definition. Polypharmacy was visualized by the Quantum Geographic Information Systems (QGIS) program to describe regional differences in patterns of drug use. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) to investigate the risk factors for polypharmacy.

Results

Of the Korean elderly studied, 86.4% had polypharmacy, 44.9% had major polypharmacy and 3.0% had excessive polypharmacy. Polypharmacy was found to be primarily concentrated in the Southwest region of the country. Significant associations between polypharmacy and the lower-income Medical Aid population (OR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.47, 1.56) compared with National Health Insurance patients was observed.

Conclusions

Nationwide efforts are needed for managing polypharmacy among Korean elderly patients. In particular, a national campaign and education to promote appropriate use of medicines for the Medical Aid population is needed.

SUBMITTER: Kim HA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4051604 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Prevalence and predictors of polypharmacy among Korean elderly.

Kim Hong-Ah HA Shin Ju-Young JY Kim Mi-Hee MH Park Byung-Joo BJ

PloS one 20140610 6

<h4>Objective</h4>Polypharmacy is widespread in the elderly because of their multiple chronic health problems. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and predictors associated with polypharmacy in a nationally representative sample of Korean elderly individuals.<h4>Methods</h4>We used the Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service - National Patient Sample (HIRA-NPS) data from 2010 and 2011. We used information on 319,185 elderly patients (aged 65 years or older) ...[more]

PMID: 24915073

Similar Datasets

Project description:BACKGROUND:Several studies have examined the risk and health outcomes related to polypharmacy among the elderly. However, information regarding polypharmacy among pediatric patients is lacking. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of polypharmacy and its related factors among the pediatric population of South Korea. METHODS:We used national claim data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-Pediatric Patients Sample (HIRA-PPS) in Korea originating from 2012 through 2016. Polypharmacy was defined as a daily average of two or more drugs used yearly. Complex chronic conditions (CCCs) were examined to evaluate concomitant chronic diseases in pediatric patients. Age-specific contraindications and potential drug-drug interactions were assessed according to criteria established by the Korea Institute of Drug Safety & Risk Management (KIDS). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were conducted to analyze the status of polypharmacy and its associated risk factors in pediatric patients. RESULTS:The 5-year prevalence of pediatric polypharmacy in pediatric patients was 3.7%. The prevalence of polypharmacy was much higher in younger pediatric patients: 9.5% for patients between the ages of 1-7 years, 0.9% for ages 6-11 years, and 1.1% for ages 12-19 years. Pediatric patients with CCCs, Medical Aid benefits, or a hospital admission history had a significantly higher prevalence of polypharmacy when compared to their counterparts without those conditions. The most commonly prescribed drugs were respiratory agents (29%) followed by anti-allergic drugs (18.7%), central nervous system agents (15.9%), antibiotics (10.1%), and gastrointestinal drugs (7.7%). There was a positive correlation between the daily average number of inappropriate prescriptions and the degree of polypharmacy, especially in pediatric patients between the ages of 1-7 years. Contraindications and potential drug-drug interactions occurred in 11.0% and 10.1% of patients exposed to polypharmacy, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:One in ten pediatric patients under the age of 7 years was prescribed two or more concurrent drugs on average per day. Furthermore, pediatric patients exposed to polypharmacy showed an increased risk of inappropriate drug use. The implementation of a medication review system that considers pediatric patient polypharmacy exposure would reduce inappropriate drug use and prevent unwanted adverse outcomes.

Dataset Information

Prevalence and predictors of polypharmacy among Korean elderly.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Prevalence and predictors of polypharmacy among Korean elderly.

Similar Datasets

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