Introduction:

older adults represent the group most vulnerable to polypharmacy, due to the various comorbidities and physiological changes inherent to aging.

Objective:

raise the level of knowledge about polypharmacy in older adults.

Methods:

descriptive, longitudinal and prospective study of educational intervention in older adults from Clinic No. 65, “Luis Augusto Turcios Lima” Polyclinic in Pinar del Río, period October 2022-October 2023. Universe: older adults dispensed from CMF No. 65 (N=215). Sample: intentional non-probabilistic with 140 patients according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results were expressed in absolute and percentage frequencies.

Results:

the group of 60-74 years old predominated (61,4 %), females (60 %), occupationally active (56,4 %), and live with someone (77,1 %). Patients with two or more comorbidities (85,7 %) and consumption of four to five medications (52,9 %) prevailed. The groups with the highest consumption were antihypertensives (53,6 %) and psychotropic drugs (47,9 %) indicated by doctor's prescription (55,6 %). Factors such as self-medication (100 %), comorbidities (98,6 %), living with someone (77,1 %) and female sex (60 %) predominated. Initial knowledge on the subject was low (77,9 %), after applying the strategy it increased to 91,4 %.

Conclusions:

older adults, especially women, were more predisposed to the development of comorbidities, self-medication and polypharmacy that threaten their quality of life. With the educational intervention applied, the level of knowledge about the harmful effects of polypharmacy increased.

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