[Chronic pathologies and pharmaceutical expenditure in persons over the age of 65].
OBJECTIVE
For purposes of the present study of people over 65 attending a particular Health Centre, we aimed to discover and inter-relate their morbidity due to chronic illnesses, their frequency of attendance, and the total average outlay of drugs on them.


METHODS
Descriptive crossover study. Information on the clinical histories was gathered over a one-year period (July 1990 to June '91). SITE. Within the Primary Care framework: at the Vite Health Centre in Santiago de Compostela.


METHODS
The population aged 65 or over and with medical records in the said centre. A representative sample of this population (n = 240), obtained by systematic sampling, was worked with.


RESULTS
The sample's average age was 73.6 +/- 6.7 years. Arterial Hypertension (AHT) was the most common chronic illness. AHT, LCFA/Asthma, Hyperlipemia and digestive pathology showed significant differences between men and women. The average number of medical consultations per person per year was 11.5 +/- 0.82, with no significant differences as to sex and age. The average outlay per person per year was 27,610 pesetas +/- 38,688, with an average cost per consultation of 2,750 pesetas +/- 5,158.7. The chronic illnesses that produced a higher average total cost were heart diseases. Significant differences were shown between the number of chronic illnesses and the average total cost.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence, number and nature of chronic illnesses are the factors affecting higher outlay in medication.
Segade Buceta
X M
XM
Centro de Salud de Vite, Santiago de Compostela, La Coruña.
Garcia Figueiras
A
A
Cinos Ramos
L
L
Casais Gude
X L
XL
Nieto Pol
E
E
González Conde
A
A
Gerpe Caamaño
C
C
D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000191:economics*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations
Patologías crónicas y gasto farmacéutico en personas mayores de 65 años.