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Polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions among older and younger male prisoners in Switzerland

Annaheim, Beatrice and Wangmo, Tenzin and Bretschneider, Wiebke and Handtke, Violet and Elger, Bernice S. and Belardi, Angelo and Meyer, Andrea H. and Hösli, Raphael and Lutters, Monika. (2019) Polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions among older and younger male prisoners in Switzerland. International Journal of Prisoner Health, 15 (3). pp. 250-261.

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to determine the prevalence of polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in older and younger prisoners, and compared if age group is associated with risks of polypharmacy and DDIs.; For 380 prisoners from Switzerland (190 were 49 years and younger; 190 were 50 years and older), data concerning their medication use were gathered. MediQ identified if interactions of two or more substances could lead to potentially adverse DDI. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and generalised linear mixed models.; On average, older prisoners took 3.8 medications, while younger prisoners took 2.1 medications. Number of medications taken on one reference day was higher by a factor of 2.4 for older prisoners when compared to younger prisoners (; p; = 0.002). The odds of polypharmacy was significantly higher for older than for younger prisoners (>=5 medications: odds ratio = 5.52,; p; = 0.035). Age group analysis indicated that for potentially adverse DDI there was no significant difference (odds ratio = 0.94;; p; = 0.879). However, when controlling for the number of medication, the risk of adverse DDI was higher in younger than older prisoners, but the result was not significant.; Older prisoners are at a higher risk of polypharmacy but their risk for potentially adverse DDI is not significantly different from that of younger prisoners. Special clinical attention must be given to older prisoners who are at risk for polypharmacy. Careful medication management is also important for younger prisoners who are at risk of very complex drug therapies.
Faculties and Departments:03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Public Health > Ehemalige Einheiten Public Health > Medizin- und Gesundheitsethik (Reiter-Theil)
08 Cross-disciplinary Subjects > Ethik > Institut für Bio- und Medizinethik > Bio- und Medizinethik (Elger)
03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Public Health > Ethik in der Medizin > Bio- und Medizinethik (Elger)
UniBasel Contributors:Wangmo, Tenzin and Elger, Bernice Simone and Meyer, Andrea Hans and Annaheim, Beatrice and Bretschneider, Wiebke and Handtke, Violet Fleur and Hösli, Raphael and Hösli, Raphael and Lutters, Monika and Belardi, Angelo
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:Emerald
ISSN:1744-9200
e-ISSN:1744-9219
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
Language:English
Identification Number:
edoc DOI:
Last Modified:16 Oct 2019 08:16
Deposited On:12 Sep 2019 15:39

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