RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRACTICE OF POLYPHARMACY IN THE ELDERLY POPULATION

Abstract

Elderly people use a large number of medications, requiring multiple drug therapies. The purpose of this study is to report the consequences of polypharmacy in the elderly population. This is a literature review conducted in the PUBMED® database with the screening of scientific articles using the keywords “pharmaceutical care”, “elderly” and “polypharmacy”. There are multiple screening tools to select drug therapy and reduce Potentially Inappropriate Medications, with the Beers and STOPP criteria being the most widely used. The pharmacist is a key agent in promoting the health of the elderly, addressing the risk factors associated with the practice of polypharmacy in this population, supporting the reduction of polypharmacy and improving the quality of prescription.

Keywords: Pharmaceutical Care; Elderly people; Polypharmacy