Prevalence of Polypharmacy and its Association with Adverse Drug Effects Among Elderly Individuals in an Urban Field Practice Area of a Tertiary care Institution in South Kerala

Authors

• Ajas SN, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Mount Zion Medical College, Adoor, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India AND PhD Scholar, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Puducherry, IndiaFollow
• Shameer Hakkim, Assistant Professor, Department of General Medicine, Al-Azhar Medical College,Thodupuzha,Kerala,India
• Asha Raby N, Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Muthoot College of Allied Health Sciences, Kozhencherry, Kerala, India AND PhD Scholar, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Puducherry, India

Article Type

Article

Abstract

Background: Polypharmacy (≥ 5 medications) is increasingly common among the elderly due to multimorbidity, longer life expectancy, and fragmented care, and is linked to adverse drug effects (ADEs). In urban Thiruvananthapuram, community-level evidence on its burden and ADE association is limited.This study was done to estimate the prevalence of polypharmacy among community-dwelling elderly and examine its independent association with self-reported ADEs. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional analytical study (March–December 2024) was conducted among 420 elderly individuals (≥ 60 years) selected via systematic random sampling. A validated interviewer-administered questionnaire (CVI = 0.94; ICC = 0.87) assessed medication use (past 30 days), ADEs, multimorbidity, functional status, and sociodemographics. Polypharmacy was defined as ≥ 5 drugs/day; hyperpolypharmacy as ≥ 10. Multivariable logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (aORs). Results: Mean age was 68.7 ± 7.4 years; 56% were female. Polypharmacy prevalence was 61.2% and hyperpolypharmacy 18.6%. Common drugs included antihypertensives (71%), antidiabetics (46%), and statins (34%). Overall ADE prevalence was 28.1%, significantly higher with polypharmacy (41.2% vs. 7.4%; PR 5.58, 95% CI 3.21–9.69). Frequent ADEs were dizziness (21.4%), gastrointestinal upset (16.9%), and falls (11.2%). Polypharmacy independently predicted ADEs (aOR 4.12, 95% CI 2.31–7.36), along with multimorbidity ≥ 3 (aOR 2.68) and self-medication (aOR 1.89). Conclusion: Polypharmacy affects over 60% of the urban elderly and is strongly associated with ADEs, underscoring the need for medication review, deprescribing, and pharmacist-led interventions.

Keywords

Polypharmacy, Adverse drug effects, Elderly, Multimorbidity, Community-based study, Kerala

Recommended Citation

SN, Ajas; Hakkim, Shameer; and N, Asha Raby (2026) "Prevalence of Polypharmacy and its Association with Adverse Drug Effects Among Elderly Individuals in an Urban Field Practice Area of a Tertiary care Institution in South Kerala," Muthanna Medical Journal: Vol. 13: Iss. 2, Article 8.
Available at: https://muthmj.mu.edu.iq/journal/vol13/iss2/8

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.