Medicine Prescription for Older Adults in Primary Health Care

Abstract

Introduction: The physiological changes experienced by older adults produce alterations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, which increase the susceptibility to adverse drug reactions and drug interactions. Objective: To characterize the prescription and indication of medications in older adults. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Main Municipal Pharmacy of Santa Clara, Villa Clara province, from July 2023 to January 2024. The sample consisted of 852 patients with current prescription certificates for controlled medications. A sample of 361 patients was selected through simple random sampling. The variables studied were: sex, age, diagnosis, number of medications, medications prescribed, and drug interactions. The results were presented in tables using absolute numbers and percentages. The principle of confidentiality of the information reviewed and certificates for controlled medications was respected. Results: Females predominated 65.10 % and 49.58 % of patients were between 60 and 70 years old. The most frequent diagnosis was arterial hypertension 73.13 %, 45.71% were taking three to four medications, and clinically significant interactions were allopurinol-hydrochlorothiazide, allopurinol-enalapril, clopidogrel-acetylsalicylic acid, and insulin-glibenclamide. Conclusions: Older adults with the highest medication consumption were women between 60 and 70 years old. The most common condition was arterial hypertension. Clinically significant drug interactions are common, referring to the age-related changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.