Factors associated with multiple medication use in adults of 60-year-old or more in Puerto Rico for the years 2002–2003

Background: By 2020 it is projected that 20% of the population in Puerto Rico (PR) will be 60 years and older, suggesting an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases and a higher consumption of medications among this group. There is vast scientific evidence that suggest that the use of multiple medication therapy might lead to adverse medication reactions, accidents, and other detrimental health effects, especially among older adults. These consequences are more likely to increase because of physiologic and pathologic changes related to aging itself and disease process. Methods: Using data from the PREHCO study, we evaluated factors associated with the use of multiple medications (5+) among the Puerto Rican elderly. Multivariate weighted logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of five or more medications. Results: The overall prevalence of utilization of five or more medications in the elderly was (35.9%). A significant higher utilization was observed in women (42.5%) compared to men (27.6%) (p-value<0.0001). Results from logistic regression analysis indicated that women (OR=1.27) and being diagnosed with osteoporosis (OR=2.27), hypertension (OR=2.12), and diabetes (OR=2.10) were associated with using five or more medications. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that a large number of older adults, primarily women in PR may be at high-risk for adverse medication events. It is recommended to implement health policies and programs to promote the importance of monitoring the use of medications in the elderly in particular due to the growing burden of chronic diseases and a higher number of comorbidities among this group.