title: Profile of drug utilization in the elderly living in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
abstract: The elderly population is one of the most rapidly increasing populations in the world. Physiological alterations induced by the aging process make these individuals more susceptible to chronic diseases and, consequently, to increased drug utilization.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the profile of drug utilization in the elderly living in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational and cross-sectional population-based study to investigate the characteristics of the population, sources of information and types of drugs used by the elderly was performed. Four hundred and eighty patients were recruited from data supplied by the City Hall of Porto Alegre. The elderly were interviewed individually during the period from January to May 2006 by trained interviewers. A validated pharmacotherapy questionnaire was used for data collection and data were tabulated and analyzed by the SPSS 11.5 computer program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 480 patients interviewed, 13.8% did not use any medication. Cardiovascular system drugs represented the pharmacological class most used by the elderly (64.0%). When ill, 71.9% of these individuals visited the doctor, while 36.9% self-medicated. For the majority (50.2%), drugs were identified by their labels. Only 41.2% of the elderly understood medical prescriptions and 68.3% of the patients studied obtained the necessary information for the appropriate use of therapy from their doctors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study suggests that a pharmaceutical care program for the treatment, prevention, and use of medications may provide a higher efficiency to elderly drug therapy.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul , Rio Grande do Sul ( Brazil ).
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tôrres Faggiani
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul , Rio Grande do Sul ( Brazil ).
authors.forename: Guilherme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schroeter
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul , Rio Grande do Sul ( Brazil ).
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luz Pacheco
authors.affiliation: Geriatrics and Gerontologic Institute, Hospital São Lucas, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul , Rio Grande do Sul ( Brazil ).
authors.forename: Antônio Carlos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Araújo De Souza
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul , Rio Grande do Sul ( Brazil ).
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Werlang
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy and Geriatrics and Gerontologic Institute, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul , Rio Grande do Sul ( Brazil ).
authors.forename: Geraldo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Attílio De Carli
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul , Rio Grande do Sul ( Brazil ).
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bueno Morrone
keywords: Aged; Brazil; Drug Utilization; Polypharmacy