Inappropriate Medications Use and Polypharmacy among Older Adults with Anxiety Disorder

Background: Elderly with mental health conditions usually use multiple medications, which predisposes them to inappropriate use of medications, which is defined as medications that should be avoided due to their risk; this outweighs their benefit given that safer alternatives are available. This study aimed to examine potentially inappropriate medication use among older patients with anxiety disorder. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional retrospective study design using twelve months of data extracted from the Electronic Health Record (EHR) database for older adults diagnosed with anxiety disorder and treated in the ambulatory care setting. Potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) use was evaluated using the 2019 Beers criteria. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample. Pearson’s chi-square tests (for categorical variables) and t-tests (for continuous variables) were utilized to measure the differences in independent variables between patients with and without PIMs. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the associations between PIMs use and identify potential factors for PIMs use among older adults with anxiety disorder. Analyses were performed using the Statistical Analysis Software version 9.4 (SAS(®) 9.4). Results: The study sample includes 371 older adults (age ≥ 65 years) with anxiety disorder; their average age was (72.1 ± 5.8) years. PIMs use was highly prevalent among older adults with anxiety (66.6%). About 35.6% of the study sample used one PIM, 22.6% used two PIMs, and 8.4% used three PIMs. The most frequently prescribed PIMs were NSAIDs and gastrointestinal agents. The adjusted regression analysis found that PIMs use was less likely among men than women. In addition, PIMs use was more likely among women with diabetes, cancer, and polypharmacy. Conclusions: Future studies on strategies and interventions rationing PIMs use in older adults with anxiety disorder are necessary given the high prevalence of PIMs and polypharmacy within this population.