Medication use among the oldest old in the Faroe Islands-A national cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aging is often associated with an increasing number of comorbidities that warrant use of multiple drugs which increases the use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), drug-drug interactions (DDIs) and drug-related problems (DRPs). The aim is to assess the prevalence of polypharmacy, PIMs, DDIs and DRPs among Faroese residents aged ≥90 years. In this population-based cross-sectional study, 494 individuals ≥90 years were invited and 298 (60%) participated. A pharmacist-led medication review was performed based on self-information, electronic patient journal and the Faroese Prescription Registry. The prevalence of polypharmacy was 74% with no sex-difference. Approximately 60% of participants used PIMs, primarily benzodiazepines and proton pump inhibitors, the latter being a frequently implicated medication in DRPs. Opioid use was low compared with other Nordic studies. DRPs were observed for 79% with discrepancies in the medication lists as the most common cause, and DDIs were identified for 47% of participants, mostly moderately clinically relevant DDIs. In conclusion, the medication use among the oldest old Faroese resembled that in other Nordic countries with a high prevalence of polypharmacy and use of PIMs, especially PPIs and benzodiazepines. However, no sex-difference was noted in medication use and the use of opioids was low.

Keywords: drug‐related problems; drug–drug interactions; oldest old; polypharmacy; potentially inappropriate medication use.