The extent of polypharmacy and use of 'fall risk increasing drugs' in the oldest old admitted to a regional New South Wales hospital.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE(S) Polypharmacy is associated with significant morbidity including cognitive decline and falls. We sought to quantify the extent of polypharmacy and use of medications associated with fall risk in the very old admitted to a regional NSW hospital. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of patients aged over 80 years admitted to a regional NSW hospital from September to October 2019. Demographic data and medication usage on admission were collected. Polypharmacy was defined as regular use of five or more medications. RESULTS: A total of 401 patients were included mean age was 87.2 (±4.6) years and 56.9% were female. Of the participations, 82.9% experienced polypharmacy, and the mean number of medications was 8.2 (±4.2). Of the patients, 91.6% utilised medications associated with risk of falls. There was no association between age and number of preadmission regular medications. CONCLUSION: Polypharmacy is extremely common prior to acute hospitalisation for regional older individuals. This highlights the importance of medication rationalisation to reduce medication-related harm.