Study on drug use by the elderly in a specialized geriatrics outpatient service in Brasília, Brazil

Background: To evaluate the use of potentially inappropriate drugs and propose pharmacotherapeutic interventions for older adults cared for by a specialist service in Recanto das Emas, Federal District, Brazil. Methods: Analytical, cross-sectional research with a quantitative approach, conducted in the city of Recanto das Emas, Federal District, Brazil, with a sample of 191 older adults, of both sexes, during routine clinic visits in a specialized geriatric outpatient service. The variables analyzed were sex, age, educational level, origin, functional capacity, illnesses diagnosed and history of medications used. The data were investigated using bivariate analyses and multiple analysis through logistic regression. Results: A high prevalence of drugs used by the sample was observed (n=191, 1.111 medications, median of 06 drugs/patient). A total of 150 drugs (13.5%) was classified as potentially inappropriate according to the Beers criteria (2015), and 135 drugs (12.16%) were classified as potentially inappropriate according to the STOPP/START criteria (2014). According to the ATC/WHO classification (2017), a wide variety was presented in terms of both quantity and pharmacological classes. Orthostatic hypotension and hypoglycemia were the unwanted outcomes caused by the use of inappropriate drugs, confirmed in this study. Conclusion: Greater commitment is required from the multi-professional team to improve the prescribing of drugs for, and use of drugs by, the elderly.