Journal Article

Polypharmacy and self-medication among older adults in Indian urban communities—a cross-sectional study

Cherian, Jerin Jose, Roychoudhury, Parimita, Diwan, Vishal, Kishore, Jugal, Gnanavel, Pavithra, Baruah, Chetanjit, Saikia, Anku Moni, Borah, Rinku, Mishra, Shilpi, Kumar, K. Sathish, Murugan, S. Arun, Srivastava, Namita, Smanla, Shalini, Panda, Samiran, Khare, Shweta, Tripathi, Santanu Kumar, Rajesh, J., Das, Saibal, Prakash, Vadanere Nidhi, Samajdar, Shambo Samrat, Ahmad, Ishteyaque, Lundborg, Cecilia Stålsby, Kalita, Manoj, Yasmin, Sabrina, Basistha, Mandeep Sarma, Nasrin, Mahmuda, Pathak, Ashish

2025

Overview

Older adults are vulnerable to unsafe medication practices. This cross-sectional study estimated the prevalence and factors of polypharmacy and self-medication among 600 older adults from six Indian cities. The updated Screening Tool of Older Persons’ Prescriptions and Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment criteria (version 3) were used. Knowledge, attitudes, and reported practices regarding self-medication were assessed. Descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and multivariable analysis were used. The prevalence of polypharmacy was 33.7% (95% CI 29.9–37.6%), with significant associations to multiple comorbidities [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.5 (95% CI 1.1–4.1)], recent transition of care [aOR 3.3 (95% CI 1.4–5.7)], and recent hospitalization [aOR 4.6 (95% CI 2–7.7)]. The proportions of prescriptions with potentially inappropriate medications and potential prescribing omissions were 28.8% (95% CI 25.2–32.6%) and 20.3% (95% CI 17.2–23.8%), respectively. The prevalence of self-medication was 19.7% (95% CI 16.6–23.1%), associated with factors, such as staying alone [aOR 4.5 (95% CI 2.4–6.6)], multiple comorbidities [aOR 3 (95% CI 1.4–6.7)], and recent hospitalization [aOR 4.8 (95% CI 1.5–8)]. Among those who self-medicated, 65.3% lacked knowledge of self-medication, 50% did not comprehend the risks, and 40.7% reported unsafe self-medication practices. The findings emphasize interventions’ necessity for promoting safe medication use in older adults.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 692/308 / 692/700 / Aged / Aged, 80 and over / Comorbidity / Cross-Sectional Studies / Drugs / Female / Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Humanities and Social Sciences / Humans / India - epidemiology / Male / Middle Aged / multidisciplinary / Older adults / Older people / Polypharmacy / Potential prescribing omissions (PPOs) / Potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) / Prevalence / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Screening tool of older persons’ prescriptions and screening tool to alert to right treatment (STOPP-START) / Self Medication - statistics & numerical data / Self-medication / Statistical analysis / Urban areas / Urban Population - statistics & numerical data