title: Pharmacotherapy and over-the-counter drug use among elderly in Belgrade, Serbia.
abstract: From November 2012 to January 2013, 480 seniors were recruited at the Pubic Health Center in Belgrade, Serbia. The patients' records were validated by four independent investigators. Data on over-the-counter (OTC) drug use were collected through a questionnaire. Polypharmacy, an intake of ≥5 prescribed medications, reported in 10.4% of seniors, was associated with cardiovascular (odds ratio [OR] = 3.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12-8.39) and endocrine diseases (OR = 2.25; 95% CI = 1.05-4.84) as well as with the number of treated chronic conditions (OR = 2.45; 95% CI = 1.75-3.44). The most frequently used OTC drugs were analgesics (metamizole, diclofenac and acetaminophen) and vitamins (vitamin C and vitamin B complex). The number of treated chronic conditions was associated with use of OTC drugs (OR = 1.17; 95% CI = 1.01-1.36). Multiple chronic conditions correlated with multiple OTC drug use (ρ = 0.125, p = 0.019). Our analysis indicated that the prevalence of polypharmacy and OTC drug use in the elderly are comparable to those in industrialized countries.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Visegradska 26A, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gazibara
authors.forename: Selmina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nurkovic
authors.forename: Darija
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kisic-Tepavcevic
authors.forename: Ilma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kurtagic
authors.forename: Nikolina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kovacevic
authors.forename: Teodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gazibara
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pekmezovic
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004358:Drug Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055771:Serbia
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs
keywords: Pharmacotherapy; Self-medication