Consumption of Medicines and Pharmacological Interactions in an Elderly Population

Physiological modifications associated with the aging process and the high consumption of medicines turns the elderly population more vulnerable to the risks of medicines intake, one of them the pharmacological interactions. Objectives: The objective of this research was to identify the consumption of medicines and possible pharmacological interactions in a group of 81 elders. Methods: The data concerning consumed medicines were collected in the records of the elders' individual prescription, and the evaluation of the possible interactions through “Drug-drug Interaction’s Table". Results: The mean number of medicines consumed by each elder per day was 3,14 (SD=1,99). Only six elders (7,4%) did not ingest medicines and 63 (77,8%) ingested 2 or more. The drugs more used were the antihypertensive and cardiovascular preparations (53,1%), followed for the psychotherapic drugs (34,6%) and anticoagulants (22,2%). It was identified 31 possibilities of pharmacological interactions, 18 were considered light and 13 moderate. Among the 22 elders under interaction risk (27,2%), 13 presented one possibility of interaction, while 9 presented risk of 2 interactions. Conclusions: The appraised population presented a high consumption of medicines, being subject to pharmacological interactions. The drug prescription for the elderly population and the risks of pharmacological interactions should be considered a concern for the professionals of health that integrate the elderly care team.