Abstract
Background: Polypharmacy is common in the elderly, and increases the risk of drug interactions, inappropriate drug use, and many other adverse health events, especially in elderly diabetic patients. Objectives: To identify the prevalence and some associated factors of polypharmacy in elderly diabetic in-patients treated at Ninh Binh Provincial General Hospital. Subjects and methods: Descriptive observational study with longitudinal follow-up at 205 older diabetic patients at the Endocrinology Department, Ninh Binh Provincial General Hospital from October 2022 to May 2023. Subjects were interviewed according to a uniform medical record form. Polypharmacy was defined as the simultaneous use of 5 or more drugs in a day, including prescription and over the-counter drugs. Results: The mean age was 72.9±7.7 (year); females accounted for 60%. The rate of polypharmacy before admission was: 58.5%, inpatient treatment is 88,3%, and when the patient is discharged was 55.6%. There were relationships between polypharmacy and some factors such as advanced age, duration of diabetes, cognitive decline, and frailty syndrome. Conclusion: The rate of polypharmacy in elderly diabetic in-patients treated at Ninh Binh Provincial General Hospital was quite high, especially in patients with advanced age, prolonged diabetes duration, cognitive impairment, or frailty syndrome.