Pattern of medication use in geriatric patients at primary health care facilities in Karawang, Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Rational drug use is a critical component in patient care, particularly among the elderly who often have multiple medical problems. The aim of this study was to assess the pattern of medication use among the elderly visiting primary health care facilities. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at 25 primary health care facilities in Karawang District, Indonesia, and patients aged ≥60 years visiting the facilities from January to December 2014 were included. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the study samples. Each prescription was assessed using the WHO prescribing indicators. RESULTS: A total of 10,118 prescriptions with 31,927 drugs were assessed. The average number of drugs prescribed was 3.15 (range: 1–7). Drugs prescribed by generic name comprised 98.09% (n=31,318) of the total number of drugs. Medical appointments wherein an antibiotic was prescribed constituted 23.45% (n=2373) of the total number of prescriptions. No injections were prescribed in this study setting. Drugs prescribed from the essential drug list comprised 83.07% (n=26,522). Paracetamol (13.44%), vitamin B complex (8.05%), and aluminum–magnesium hydroxide (7%) were the most frequently prescribed drugs, whereas amoxicillin (44.03%), chloramphenicol (13.10%), and ciprofloxacin (12.00%) were the most frequently prescribed antibiotics. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight that polypharmacy and prescription of essential drugs remain subjects of concern in geriatric health care. Regular medication review and promoting the use of the essential drug list among health care professionals are encouraged in primary care settings.