Prevalence and predictors of polypharmacy in elderly patients discharged from a tertiary care teaching hospital in Swat, Pakistan: A retrospective cross-sectional study

Background: The use of polypharmacy in the elderly has been the subject of much consideration in recent years. However, its prevalence and risk factors are yet to be properly investigated in Pakistan. Objective: The study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of polypharmacy at discharge in Pakistan. Method: A retrospective cross-sectional study of elderly patients' medical profiles for the year 2021 was performed, and the profiles that met the inclusion criteria were included. Results: The total sample size was 800, and 51.9% of patients received polypharmacy at discharge. The authors found that the female gender (OR = 0.469) has comparatively less risk of receiving polypharmacy. Furthermore, patients with an increased length of stay and increased medication use in the hospital (OR 1.1295, OR = 17.189, respectively) have a high risk of receiving polypharmacy at discharge. Furthermore, patients diagnosed with peripheral vascular disease (OR = 4.689), cerebrovascular accident (OR = 2.764), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR = 3.748), asthma (OR = 2.321), and diabetes mellitus (OR = 2.754) had higher risks of receiving polypharmacy. Conclusion: The study found a high prevalence of polypharmacy at discharge in Pakistan and identified several risk factors that could help to reduce polypharmacy by targeting vulnerable groups.