EVALUATION OF PRESCRIPTION WITH POLYPHARMACY AMONG GERIATRIC POPULATION IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL: A PROSPECTIVE CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

  • Sruthimol V Doctor of Pharmacy Interns, K. K. College of Pharmacy, 1/161, Sankaralinganar Road, Gerugambakkam, Chennai.
  • Aneena Saji Abraham Doctor of Pharmacy Interns, K. K. College of Pharmacy, 1/161, Sankaralinganar Road, Gerugambakkam, Chennai.
  • Gowtham S Doctor of Pharmacy Interns, K. K. College of Pharmacy, 1/161, Sankaralinganar Road, Gerugambakkam, Chennai.
  • Priya M Doctor of Pharmacy Interns, K. K. College of Pharmacy, 1/161, Sankaralinganar Road, Gerugambakkam, Chennai.
  • Ramalakshmi S Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, K. K. College Of Pharmacy, 1/161, Sankaralinganar Road, Gerugambakkam, Chennai.
  • R. Ganesan Head of Department, Department of Internal Medicine, Vijaya Hospital, Vadapalani, Chennai.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32553/jbpr.v9i1.716
Keywords: Elderly population; MAI; polypharmacy

Abstract

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND

Elderly population are the largest consumers of prescribed drugs and are the most vulnerable groups in our society. Prescribing for older patients presents many unique challenges, particularly with respect to variables such as polypharmacy, altered pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics responses.  This study was carried out to evaluate the appropriateness of prescription in geriatric population by using medication appropriateness index

METHOD

This Prospective, observational cross-sectional study was carried out in 100 patients for 6 months at Vijaya Hospital, Vadapalani. The study participants included inpatients of either gender, age greater than 65 years and patients receiving more than 4 medications.  The outpatients, patients with cancer and HIV were excluded from the study. Data was collected in data collection form and each drug in a prescription was analysed and scored by using Medication Appropriateness Index questionnaire (MAI).

 

RESULTS

Out of 1012 drugs prescribed among 100 patients, a total of 912 drugs (90.12%) were considered to be appropriate whereas 100 drugs (9.88%) were considered to be inappropriate. The major category of inappropriate prescribing encountered in our study was ineffective medications (5.03%) for different conditions based on Beers criteria. Prescription analysis of the drug chart indicate,  the drugs with least expensive alternative comprises 1.08% followed by impractical directions (0.69%), drug-disease interactions (0.39%), unnecessary duplications (0.39%) and incorrect  directions (0.19%). The mean MAI score of inappropriate prescribing per drug was 0.02 ± 0.23 and score per patient was 0.22 ± 0. 55.

 

CONCLUSION

The data from the present study shows that 9.88% of drugs prescribed were considered to be inappropriate. A clinical pharmacist can reduce the frequency of inappropriate prescribing by regular medication chart review and thereby reducing polypharmacy

 

Published
2020-03-04
How to Cite
Sruthimol V, Aneena Saji Abraham, Gowtham S, Priya M, Ramalakshmi S, & R. Ganesan. (2020). EVALUATION OF PRESCRIPTION WITH POLYPHARMACY AMONG GERIATRIC POPULATION IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL: A PROSPECTIVE CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY. Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.32553/jbpr.v9i1.716
Issue
Vol. 9 No. 1 (2020)
Section
Research Articles

Creative Commons LicenseJournal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research by Articles is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.