Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jun 11;15(6):e0234386.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234386. eCollection 2020.

Prevalence of polypharmacy and the association with non-communicable diseases in Qatari elderly patients attending primary healthcare centers: A cross-sectional study

Ayman Al-Dahshan  1 , Noora Al-Kubiasi  2 , Manal Al-Zaidan  3 , Wael Saeed  3 , Vahe Kehyayan  4 , Iheb Bougmiza  2
Affiliations

Prevalence of polypharmacy and the association with non-communicable diseases in Qatari elderly patients attending primary healthcare centers: A cross-sectional study

Ayman Al-Dahshan et al. PLoS One. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: Polypharmacy has become a global public health concern particularly in the elderly population. The elderly population is the most susceptible to the negative effects of polypharmacy due to their altered pharmacokinetics and decreased drug clearance. Therefore, polypharmacy can lead to poor health status and higher rates of morbidity and mortality.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of polypharmacy (≥ 5 drugs) and its association with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in elderly (≥65 years) Qatari patients attending Primary Healthcare (PHC) centers in Qatar.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) database of all PHC centers in Qatar for six months (April-September 2017).

Results: Out of 5639 patients screened, 75.5% (95% CI: 74.3-76.6) were exposed to polypharmacy. Females were 1.18 times more likely to have polypharmacy compared to males (95% CI: 1.03-1.34). The multivariate analysis identified having hypertension (AOR 1.71; 95% CI: 1.38-2.13), diabetes (AOR 2.38; 95% CI: 1.97-2.87), dyslipidemia (AOR 1.29; 95% CI: 1.06-1.56), cardiovascular disease (AOR 1.56; 95% CI: 1.25-1.95) and asthma (AOR 1.39; 95% CI: 1.13-1.72) to be independent parameters associated with polypharmacy. Also, the Body Mass Index (BMI) and number of NCDs were found to be significant independent parameters associated with polypharmacy.

Conclusions: The prevalence of polypharmacy among Qatari elderly attending PHC Centers is very high. Our findings confirm the strong relationship between polypharmacy and BMI, and certain NCDs. Healthcare professionals should be educated about the magnitude of polypharmacy, its negative effects, and its associated factors. Best practice guidelines should be developed for improved medical practice in the prescription of medications for such a vulnerable population.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

References

    1. Cusack B. Pharmacokinetics in older persons. Am J Geriatr Pharmacother. 2004;2(4):274–302. 10.1016/j.amjopharm.2004.12.005 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Weng M, Tsai C, Sheu K, Lee Y, Lee H, Tzeng S et al. The impact of number of drugs prescribed on the risk of potentially inappropriate medication among outpatient older adults with chronic diseases. Q J Med. 2013;106(11):1009–15. - PubMed
    1. Wynne H, Blagburn J. Drug treatment in an ageing population: Practical implications. Maturitas. 2010;66(3):246–50. 10.1016/j.maturitas.2010.03.004 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Maher R, Hanlon J, Hajjar E. Clinical consequences of polypharmacy in elderly. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2013;13(1):57–65. 10.1517/14740338.2013.827660 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gnjidic D, Hilmer S, Blyth F, Naganathan V, Cumming R, Handelsman D et al. High-Risk Prescribing and Incidence of Frailty Among Older Community-Dwelling Men. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2012;91(3):521–28. 10.1038/clpt.2011.258 - DOI - PubMed

MeSH terms