Patterns of Medication Management and Associated Medical and Clinical Features among Home-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in Central Portugal

Maria dos Anjos Dixe (), Joana Pinho, Filipa Pereira, Henk Verloo, Carla Meyer-Massetti and Sónia Gonçalves Pereira
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Maria dos Anjos Dixe: Center for Innovative Care and Health Technology, Polytechnic of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
Joana Pinho: Center for Innovative Care and Health Technology, Polytechnic of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
Filipa Pereira: School of Health Sciences, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, 2800 Sion, Switzerland
Henk Verloo: School of Health Sciences, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, 2800 Sion, Switzerland
Carla Meyer-Massetti: Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, General Internal Medicine Clinic, University Hospital of Bern (Inselspital), 3010 Bern, Switzerland
Sónia Gonçalves Pereira: Center for Innovative Care and Health Technology, Polytechnic of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: Ageing is frequently associated with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The present study aimed to identify the current medication management patterns and the profiles of home-dwelling older adults and to find any association with their conditions, including frailty and cognitive impairment. Within the scope of this cross-sectional study, 112 older adults living in the community were assessed via face-to-face structured interviews. Frailty, cognitive status, medication management and clinical and sociodemographic variables were evaluated. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated. The mean participant age was 76.6 ± 7.1 years, 53.6% of participants were women, and 40.2% of participants lived alone. More than half were classified as having frailty (58.9%), almost one-fifth (19.6%) presented with a moderate cognitive impairment had more than one disease, and 60.7% were polymedicated. No associations were found between polymedication and medication self-management, the use of over-the-counter medications, living alone, having a poor understanding of pharmacological therapy and/or pathology, or having more than one prescriber. Self-management was associated with age, the number of medications, frailty and cognitive status. Binary logistic regressions showed that cognitive impairment had statistically significant differences with medication management, having a poor understanding of pharmacological therapy and/or pathology, having one prescriber and the use of medications not prescribed by physicians. Interventions to prevent medication-related problems in home-dwelling older adults are recommended.

Keywords: older adults; medication management; polypharmacy; multimorbidity; frailty; home-dwelling; medication-related problems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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