Evaluation of medications prescribed to in a geriatric outpatient clinic

Resumen

The study aimed to analyze and describe the profile of the prescriptions of medicines carried out the elderly in geriatric outpatient clinic of a university hospital. It is a descriptive and transversal research, conducted with 194 charts of patients attended between 2006 and 2012. There was a verified female prevalence, the patients were mostly aged between 71 to 80 years and most of them were married. The average number of comorbidities was three (dp=1.7), most of them of the circulatory system. The average consumption of medicines was 4.78 (dp=2.63), but 49% of seniors were on polypharmacy as of the second ambulatory consultation. In addition, the consumption of five or more medicines were especially associated with the elderly of 71 to 80 years. A discrete elevation in the average number of prescribed medicines was observed, adequate to the number of illnesses and age group, besides the possible condition of the senior at the moment of his or her referral. This study points out the need for a greater monitoring of those using more than five medications, as well as for a better integration with primary health care when prescribing drugs for the elderly, in order to reduce polypharmacy, adverse events, drug interaction and physiological changes in elderly patients