Introduction:

Reviewing the prescription represents an opportunity to correct errors and to optimize pharmacotherapy in vulnerable groups.

Objectives:

To analyze the pharmacotherapeutic complexity that occurs in the polymedicated patients living in the residential environment.

Material and Methods:

Descriptive, retrospective and cross-sectional study of therapeutic scheme with indication-prescription elements. Universe: 117 medical records of polymedicated patients aged 60 years and over who reside in nursing homes. Period: June-July 2020. Scenario: all nursing homes in Cienfuegos, Cuba. Dependent variable: pharmacotherapeutic complexity defined by the presence of three or more indicators of the quality of life measured by the exhaustive geriatric assessment, the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics (CIRS-G) and the STOPP/START criteria. Independent variables: age, sex, disease related to increased drug use, validity, comorbidity, type of prescription, inappropriate medications. Source: individual medical history.

Results:

Pharmacotherapeutic complexity in polymedicated elderly was identified in 76.9% of those inappropriately prescribed, multimorbid (OR = 17.3; 95% CI: 16-18.6), functionally dependent (OR = 9.9; 95%: 6.8 -13) and elderly people ≥75 years (OR = 5.1; 95% CI: 4-6.2). Benzodiazepines were the most inappropriately prescribed group. Antiplatelet agents and statins are the indicated non-prescription drugs.

Conclusions:

Polymedicated elderly patients living in the residential environment follow prescriptions of frequently used groups/drugs which are related to prescription errors with exposure to inadequate polypharmacy and pharmacotherapeutic complexity with a possible threat to the quality of life of the institutionalized elderly people.

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