Abstract
This study was conducted to estimate the cost of medications and polypharmacy in elderly with cardiovascular disorders. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted for six months in the outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital. The medical records of patients ≥ 60 years with cardiovascular diseases were reviewed. Demographic data and drugs prescribed for cardiovascular diseases along with other co morbidities were recorded. A total of 204 prescriptions were analyzed. Hypertension (86.2%) and coronary artery disease (19.6%) were the most often encountered cardiovascular diseases. Diabetes mellitus (53.4%) was the common comorbidity. There were 990 drug formulations among 204 prescriptions. Mean number of drugs per prescription was 4.85. Total daily cost of the prescriptions was INR 3901.91 and average cost/prescription/day was INR 19.12. Total cost of drugs for cardiovascular diseases was INR 1766.66 and average cost/prescription/day for cardiovascular diseases was INR 8.66. Total cost of anti-diabetic medications was INR 722.9 and mean cost/prescription/day was INR 3.54. Polypharmacy was seen in 113 (55.39%) patients. Cost of medication used for cardiovascular disease accounts for 45% of the total cost. Choosing less expensive and generic drugs is an effective way to save financial resources in elderly. Polypharmacy is prevalent in about 55% of the patients.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 83-86 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 01-01-2015 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
- Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics(all)
