USE OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS IN AN ELDERLY RURAL-POPULATION - THE MOVIES PROJECT

OBJECTIVE: TO determine the pharmacoepidemiology of prescription drug use in a rural elderly community sample, specifically the numbers and categories of medications taken and the factors associated with them. DESIGN: Cross-sectional community survey. SETTING: The mid-Monongahela Valley of southwestern Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS: An age-stratified random sample of 1360 community-dwelling individuals, aged 65 years an d older. MEASURES: Self-reported use of prescription drugs, demographi c characteristics, and use of health services. RESULTS: Nine hundred s ixty-seven participants (71%) reported regularly taking at least one p rescription medication and 157 (10%) reported taking five or more medi cations (median 2.0, range 0-13). Women took significantly more medica tions than men (median 2.0, range 0-13 and median 1.0, range 0-9, resp ectively; p = 0.01). The use of a greater number of medications was in dependently and statistically significantly associated with older age, hospitalization within the previous 6 months, home health care in pre vious year, visit to a physician within the previous year, and insuran ce coverage for prescription medication. Individuals older than 85 yea rs were significantly more likely to be taking cardiovascular agents, anticoagulants, vasodilating agents, diuretics, and potassium suppleme nts. Significantly more women than men were taking nonsteroidal antiin flammatory drugs, antidepressants, potassium supplements, and thyroid replacement medications. CONCLUSIONS: Both the number and the types of prescription medications vary with age and gender. The demographic an d health service use variables associated with greater medication use in the community may help define high-risk groups for polypharmacy and adverse drug reactions. Longitudinal studies are needed.