Evaluation of Multiple Drug Using Status by Sociodemographic Characteristics of Individuals with Chronic Disease

Abstract

Introduction:The most common belief in traditional medicine is necessarily needed to prescribe a drug. Studies show two-thirds of medical examinations are ended up with the prescription. In this study, our aim is showing the effects and features of polypharmacy on chronic disease patients and assess the sociodemographic properties, create awareness about them. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study is done with 340 patients who admit Inonu Unıversity Turgut Ozal Medicine Centre cardiology, pulmonary disease, neurology, family medicine and psychiatry policlinics. Statistical analysis is done with SPSS ver. 22.0 and in all tests p<0.05 level is accepted as statistically meaningful. Results: In our study, there are 333 participants and 154 of them are female (46.2%) 179 of them are male (53.8%) and mean age is 52.37. Eighty participants are 65 years old or over. When we evaluate the chronic disease patients, the most common diagnoses are heart disease which is seen in 177 (52.1%) of participants and hypertension which is seen in 176 of participants (51.8%). 184 of participants (54.1%) are using less than 5 drugs and 149 of participants (43.8 %) are using more than 5 drugs. In the comparison of multidrug using and suffer from side effects, 50 of less than 5 drugs using participants (27.2%) and 29 of more than 5 drugs using participants (19.5%) had adverse effects, this difference is not statistically meaningful (p=0.100). Conclusion: We are in thought of family physicians can lower multi-drug using rates collaborating with patients for managing both acute and chronic diseases in our country where the cost of drugs are rising day by day. Because of that sociodemographic properties and drugs should be questioned for all the policlinics appeal of chronic disease patients and the cessation of drugs should be done according to the proper guidelines, they should be warned about drug interaction and how to use it.