Introduction:

Polypharmacy is considered to be an indicator of frailty in advanced age.

Objective:

Characterize medicine consumption by the elderly.

Methods:

A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at family consultation office No. 7 in San Diego de los Baños during the year 2018. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were complied with. The study universe was 280 elderly people of whom a sample of 265 was selected. Data were obtained from medical records and surveys. The variables analyzed were age, sex, polypharmacy, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and adverse reactions. Use was made of absolute frequency and relative percentage distribution.

Results:

A predominance was found of the male sex (52.0%), the 60-69 age group (46.7%), osteoarthritis (54.0%) and hypertension (32.0%). Polypharmacy was present in 67.9% of the elderly subjects, and 19.6% had had adverse reactions mainly caused by prescription drugs.

Conclusions:

Medicine consumption by the elderly was characterized by an increase in polypharmacy and prescription drugs, associated to a number of adverse reactions.