ABSTRACT
AIM: To identify patterns and characteristics of polypharmacy among elderly residents in Danish nursing homes in the Northern region of Denmark. MATERIALS & METHODS: Twenty-five nursing homes were contacted, where each supplied 20 randomly selected anonymized residents' information. Residents were 65 years or older, concurrently taking five or more medications. Drug-drug interactions and potential adverse effects were investigated. RESULTS: One hundred residents (68% females; 32% males) were included. The most prevalent co-morbid condition was cardiovascular disease, and the most prevalent medications were for gastrointestinal- and metabolism-related conditions. Age influenced the number of drugs (p = 0.013) and drug-drug interactions per resident (p = 0.039), with a positive correlation. CONCLUSION: Elderly residents of the studied nursing homes were potentially affected by an inappropriate polypharmacy.
