Selection of studies demonstrating international variation in prevalence of prescribed polypharmacy in community and primary care settings
| Study | Setting | Sample size | Age of participants | Number of medications | Rates of polypharmacy (%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hovstadius et al9 | Sweden, primary care | 9 219 637 | Total population | ≥5 ≥10 | 11.1 2.4 | Rates of polypharmacy increased with age. |
| 60–69 years | ≥5 ≥10 | 21.4 4.1 | ||||
| ≥80 years | ≥5 ≥10 | 52.3 15.5 | ||||
| Qato et al72 | USA, community | 3005 | 57–85 years | ≥5 | 29 | Rates of polypharmacy increased with age and female gender. |
| Dong et al73 | Rural China, primary healthcare clinics | 20 125 prescriptions | Total population | ≥5 | 5.8 | Village doctor workload and government subsidies influenced the rates of polypharmacy. Rates are per prescription rather than per person. |
| Richardson et al74 | Ireland, community | 8093 | ≥50 years | ≥5 ≥10 | 19 2 | Rates of polypharmacy were greatest in those with self-reported hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, arthritis, chronic pain and diabetes. |
| Oliveira et al75 | Brazil, primary care | 142 | ≥60 years | ≥4 | 64.5 | Small study. |
| Payne et al7 | Scotland, primary care | 180 815 | Total adult population | 4–9 ≥10 | 16.9 4.6 | Polypharmacy increased with the number of long-term conditions. |
| 60–69 years | 4–9 ≥10 | 28.6 7.4 | ||||
| ≥80 years | 4–9 ≥10 | 51.8 18.6 |