Background: Inappropriate medication use in older people is an important source of adverse events and complications.
Aim: To determine the frequency of inappropriate medication use in the general population.
Material and methods: As part of the 2010 Chilean National Health Survey, 1,048 persons aged 65 years or more were interviewed about medication use. The information obtained was analyzed using standardized Beers criteria, adapted for the Chilean population, to define inappropriate medication use. A logistic regression model was performed to define risk factors for inappropriate medication use.
Results: Ten percent of subjects had a high risk of inappropriate medication use. The most common medications used were chlorphenamine, amitriptyline, diazepam, chlorpromazine, chlordiazepoxide and piroxicam. The risk factors detected were female gender, polypharmacy and a bad health self-perception.
Conclusions: Inappropriate medication use is common among Chilean older people and should be discouraged.