Prevalence Of Potentially Inappropriate Medication In The Older Adult Population Within Primary Care In Portugal: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

Figures & data

Table 1 Characteristics Of The Sample

Characteristic	Total % (n)
Gender
Women	56.8 (430)
Men	43.2 (327)
Health Administrative Region
North	32.2 (244)
Centre	25.1 (190)
Lisbon-Tejo Valley	27.7 (210)
Alentejo	8.7 (66)
Algarve	4.5 (34)
Madeira	0.9 (7)
Azores	0.8 (6)
Age
<75 years	51.5 (390)
≥75 years	48.2 (365)
Number of Chronic Health Problems
0–2	17.3 (131)
3–4	19.3 (146)
5–6	17.6 (133)
7–8	16.8 (127)
9–10	11.9 (90)
≥11	17.2 (130)
Chronic Health Problems (ICPC2)
A	11.2 (85)
B	7.5 (57)
D	36.5 (276)
F	20.5 (155)
H	11.5 (87)
K	77.5 (587)
L	51.8 (392)
N	15.7 (119)
P	34.3 (260)
R	23.4 (177)
S	19.3 (146)
T	68.6 (519)
U	21.5 (163)
X	9.5 (72)
Y	15.2 (115)
Z	3.6 (27)
Number of Pharmacological Subclasses
0–4 drugs	23.1 (175)
5–9 drugs	39.0 (295)
≥10 drugs	37.9 (287)
Pharmacological Classes (INFARMED)
2	74.5 (64)
3	81.8 (619)
4	36.9 (279)
5	21.1 (160)
6	50.6 (383)
7	16.5 (125)
8	42.5 (322)
9	53.9 (408)
10	20.3 (154)
16	1.6 (12)
Number of Prescribers
≤2	63.9 (484)
>2	36.1 (273)

Notes: A, general and unspecified; B, blood, blood forming organs, lymphatics, spleen; D, digestive; F, eye; H, ear; K, circulatory; L, musculoskeletal; N, neurological; P, psychological; R, respiratory; S, skin; T, endocrine, metabolic and nutritional; U, urology; X, female genital system and breast; Y, male genital system; Z, social problems; 2, central nervous system; 3, cardiovascular system; 4, blood; 5, respiratory system; 6, digestive system; 7, genitourinary system; 8, hormones and medications used to treat endocrine diseases; 9, locomotive system; 10, antiallergic medication; 16, antineoplastic and immunomodulatory drugs.

Table 2 Prevalence Of PIM According To Characteristics

Characteristic	No PIM % (n)	PIM % (n)	p-Value (χ^2 Test)	Mean Number Of PIMs (95% CI) [Median]
Gender			<0.001
Women	32.3 (139)	67.7 (291)		2.07 (1.88 to 2.26) [2]
Men	47.7 (156)	52.3 (171)		1.35 (1.18 to 1.52) [1]
Health Administrative Region			0.201
North	32.0 (78)	68.0 (166)		1.66 (1.44 to 1.89) [1]
Centre	31.1 (59)	68.9 (131)		1.85 (1.59 to 2.12) [1]
Lisbon-Tejo Valley	28.9 (58)	71.1 (152)		2.00 (1.75 to 2.26) [2]
Alentejo	37.9 (25)	62.1 (41)		1.38 (0.95 to 1.81) [1]
Algarve	44.1 (15)	55.9 (19)		1.32 (0.53 to 2.11) [1]
Madeira	42.9 (3)	57.1 (4)		0.57 (0.08 to 1.07) [1]
Azores	0 (0)	100 (6)		2.33 (1.25 to 3.42) [2]
Age			0.048
<75 years	34.6 (135)	65.4 (255)		1.70 (1.52 to 1.88) [1]
≥75 years	27.9 (102)	72.1 (263)		1.83 (1.64 to 2.03) [1]
Number of Chronic Health Problems			<0.001
0–2	54.2 (71)	45.8 (60)		1.14 (0.85 to 1.42) [0]
3–4	43.8 (64)	56.2 (82)		1.40 (1.10 to 1.70) [1]
5–6	30.1 (40)	69.9 (93)		1.65 (1.33 to 1.96) [1]
7–8	18.9 (24)	81.1 (103)		2.08 (1.76 to 2.40) [2]
9–10	25.6 (23)	74.4 (67)		1.83 (1.47 to 2.20) [2]
≥11	12.3 (16)	87.7 (114)		2.55 (2.22 to 2.89) [2]
Chronic Health Problems (ICPC2)
A	22.4 (19)	77.6 (66)	0.063	2.07 (1.66 to 2.49) [2]
B	24.6 (14)	75.4 (43)	0.299	1.91 (1.40 to 2.43) [1]
D	21.0 (58)	79.0 (218)	<0.001	2.14 (1.90 to 2.38) [2]
F	27.1 (42)	72.9 (113)	0.208	2.06 (1.74 to 2.37) [2]
H	21.8 (19)	78.2 (68)	0.049	2.21 (1.80 to 2.61) [2]
K	29.1 (171)	70.9 (416)	0.012	1.82 (1.67 to 1.97) [1]
L	23.2 (91)	76.8 (301)	<0.001	2.06 (1.86 to 2.25) [2]
N	21.8 (26)	78.2 (93)	0.018	2.29 (1.93 to 2.65) [2]
P	22.7 (59)	77.3 (201)	<0.001	2.21 (1.97 to 2.46) [2]
R	19.8 (35)	80.2 (142)	<0.001	2.19 (1.91 to 2.47) [2]
S	27.4 (40)	72.6 (106)	0.275	1.72 (1.45 to 1.99) [1]
T	27.9 (145)	72.1 (374)	0.002	1.83 (1.67 to 1.99) [1]
U	23.3 (38)	76.7 (125)	0.013	1.94 (1.67 to 2.20) [2]
X	18.1 (13)	81.9 (59)	0.011	2.22 (1.79 to 2.66) [2]
Y	28.7 (33)	71.3 (82)	0.515	1.67 (1.34 to 2.00) [1]
Z	14.8 (4)	85.2 (23)	0.089	2.30 (1.58 to 3.01) [2]
Number of Pharmacological Subclasses			<0.001
0–4 drugs	73.7 (129)	26.3 (46)		0.35 (0.25 to 0.45) [0]
5–9 drugs	29.2 (86)	70.8 (209)		1.42 (1.27 to 1.58) [1]
≥10 drugs	8.0 (23)	92.0 (264)		2.97 (2.73 to 3.21) [3]
Pharmacological Classes (INFARMED)
2	17.9 (101)	82.1 (463)	<0.001	2.21 (2.05 to 2.36) [2]
3	26.0 (161)	74.0 (458)	<0.001	1.94 (1.79 to 2.09) [2]
4	19.7 (55)	80.3 (224)	<0.001	2.14 (1.91 to 2.37) [2]
5	18.1 (29)	81.9 (131)	<0.001	2.43 (2.12 to 2.73) [2]
6	8.6 (33)	91.4 (350)	<0.001	2.78 (2.58 to 2.98) [2]
7	28.0 (35)	72.0 (90)	0.400	1.89 (1.55 to 2.22) [1]
8	22.4 (72)	77.6 (250)	<0.001	2.02 (1.80 to 2.23) [2]
9	10.3 (42)	89.7 (366)	<0.001	2.51 (2.33 to 2.70) [2]
10	14.3 (22)	85.7 (132)	<0.001	2.51 (2.22 to 2.81) [2]
16	8.3 (1)	91.7 (11)	0.117	2.83 (1.28 to 4.39) [2]
Number of Prescribers			<0.001
≤2	42.8 (207)	57.2 (277)		1.24 (1.10 to 1.38) [1]
>2	11.4 (31)	88.6 (242)		2.69 (2.46 to 2.92) [2]

Notes: A, general and unspecified; B, blood, blood forming organs, lymphatics, spleen; D, digestive; F, eye; H, ear; K, circulatory; L, musculoskeletal; N, neurological; P, psychological; R, respiratory; S, skin; T, endocrine, metabolic and nutritional; U, urology; X, female genital system and breast; Y, male genital system; Z, social problems; 2, central nervous system; 3, cardiovascular system; 4, blood; 5, respiratory system; 6, digestive system; 7, genitourinary system; 8, hormones and medications used to treat endocrine diseases; 9, locomotive system; 10, antiallergic medication; 16, antineoplastic and immunomodulatory drugs.

Table 3 Adjusted Analysis For Factors Associated With PIM Use

Characteristics	PIM
	OR	95% CI	p-Value
Gender
Women	1.56	1.05 to 2.31	0.026
Men	base	–	–
Age	0.99	0.97 to 1.05	0.512
Number of Chronic Health Problems	1.06	1.01 to 1.13	0.028
A	0.88	0.52 to 1.48	0.632
D	1.41	1.11 to 1.78	0.004
H	0.94	0.56 to 1.58	0.814
K	1.23	1.04 to 1.45	0.014
L	1.27	1.10 to 1.48	0.001
N	1.16	0.79 to 1.70	0.455
P	1.29	0.99 to 1.66	0.052
R	1.49	1.09 to 2.04	0.014
T	1.17	0.99 to 1.38	0.056
U	1.19	0.88 to 1.60	0.253
X	1.29	0.73 to 2.27	0.375
Number of Pharmacological Subclasses	1.40	1.30 to 1.51	<0.001
2	2.35	1.95 to 2.84	<0.001
3	1.08	0.94 to 1.24	0.301
4	0.94	0.65 to 1.36	0.749
5	1.09	0.74 to 1.60	0.662
6	4.86	3.18 to 7.42	<0.001
8	1.07	0.85 to 1.36	0.552
9	5.25	3.53 to 7.81	<0.001
10	1.55	0.81 to 2.97	0.185
Number of prescribers	1.34	1.09 to 1.65	0.005

Notes: OR, odds ratio; A, general and unspecified; D, digestive; H, ear; K, circulatory; L, musculoskeletal; N, neurological; P, psychological; R, respiratory; T, endocrine, metabolic and nutritional; U, urology; X, female genital system and breast; 2, central nervous system; 3, cardiovascular system; 4, blood; 5, respiratory system; 6, digestive system; 8, hormones and medications used to treat endocrine diseases; 9, locomotive system; 10, antiallergic medication.