Polypharmacy and potential drug–drug interactions among Greenland’s care home residents ...

• Main Authors: Albertsen, Nadja, Sommer, Tine Gjedde, Olsen, Thomas Mikkel, Prischl, Anna, Kallerup, Hans, Andersen, Stig
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: SAGE Journals 2022
• Subjects: 111299 Oncology and Carcinogenesis not elsewhere classified; FOS: Clinical medicine; 111599 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences not elsewhere classified; Greenland; greenlander*
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.25384/sage.c.6069002; https://sage.figshare.com/collections/Polypharmacy_and_potential_drug_drug_interactions_among_Greenland_s_care_home_residents/6069002

Background:As lifetime expectancy in Greenland is steadily increasing, so is the proportion of elderly Greenlanders. Old age is associated with polypharmacy, and in this study, we aim to describe the prevalence and characteristics of polypharmacy among the care home residents in Greenland.Methods:Eight care homes in Greenland were visited between 2010 and 2016. Questionnaires including information on prescribed medication and comorbidities were collected and analyzed. Drugs were categorized according to Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) category, and potential drug–drug interactions (pDDIs) were assessed using the Danish Interaction Database. Polypharmacy was defined as five or more prescribed drugs.Results:All 244 eligible residents were included in the study. The median number of prescribed drugs per resident was six, and women were prescribed more drugs than men (median six versus five). More than 60% of all residents fulfilled the criteria for polypharmacy. The residents in the polypharmacy group had ...