Evaluation of Drug Use and Its Effective Factors in Elderly

Abstract

Introduction: The use of medicine as a link in the treatment chain is inevitable, and medical experts believe that proper and regular use of the drug can improve in many cases. One of the population groups that are more likely to take self-medication because of their illnesses is the elderly. Given that older people are at greater risk of misuse and the consequences of drug abuse because of their special status, including loneliness, neglect, and sometimes social isolation, therefore, this study was designed and conducted to evaluate the rate of use and factors affecting drug use in the elderly and to determine its relationship with some variables. This is a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study that was done on 100 elderly people in Amol city in 2018 selected by multistage sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of three sections: demographic characteristics, medication use, and factors affecting drug use. Descriptive statistics and chi-square and variance analysis were used for data analysis. Of the samples, 65% of the elderly were taking medication for three months prior to self-examination. The most important causes were previous drug use and remission and symptoms similar to 20.1%. Self-medication was significantly associated with marital status (P=0.020), education level (P=0.005) and number of children (P=0.003). The mean drug use was 3.04±0.28 pens per day. 65% of the samples observed more than 4 drugs simultaneously. Around 75% of the elderly had self-medication. Cardiovascular drugs were the most common drug group among the 71.2%. Aspirin, Atenolol and Ranitidine were the most commonly used drugs in the elderly. There was a significant relationship between age and age with arbitrary drug use (P<0.020). The mean age of the subjects was 67 years with a standard deviation of 6.89. 73% of the elderly were male. 72% kept the drug at home, the most important reason being caution and 58% storage. Analgesics were the 15% of most home remedies. This study shows that arbitrary drug use among the elderly is lower than the general population, but it is still high compared to developed countries.