A study on polypharmacy and self-medication among India’s elderly has found that 28.8% of individuals received prescriptions containing potentially inappropriate medications while 20.3% were missing essential medications. Researchers surveyed 600 participants aged 60 and above across six cities and analyzed 2,741 prescribed medicines.
Key findings 19.7% of elderly individuals engaged in self-medication, with 65.3% of them lacking knowledge about proper self-medication and 50% were unaware of the associated risks. Most commonly self-medicated drugs: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, 59%) paracetamol (42.4%), and antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infection and diarrhea (33.9%) Most commonly prescribed medications: Antihypertensive medicines (19.9%), antidiabetic drugs (15.9%), hypolipidemic medicines (13.9%), calcium supplements (13%), and NSAIDs (13%) Most commonly…
