Aim: To provide an update of drug utilization patterns of 500 ambulatory subjects over 60 years of age.
Methods: Subjects were asked about their prescribed and nonprescribed medications an a detailed questionnaire was fulfilled. The case records and prescription sheets, when available, were examined.
Results: Drug histories were obtained on 313 women and 187 men. the mean age was 71 years (range 60-96). Of these participants 1.8% were taking no medications. The average number of drugs used was 4.8 (range from 0-16) nevertheless, the mean number of pharmacological active ingredients was much higher (7.3). The mean number of nonprescribed medications was 0.11, the majority with only an active ingredient. 87% had been used for longer than three months, and were taken daily (84%). The most commonly prescribed medications in this population were paracetamol, digoxin, hydrochlorothiazide, amiloride, nifedipine and captopril.
Conclusions: The elderly are, in fact, receiving an increasing number of medications with a narrow therapeutic index and chronically.