What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Observational. Population: Geriatric patients aged ≥65 years with polypharmacy (≥5 medications) attending internal medicine outpatient clinics (n=259). Primary outcome: Prevalence and severity of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) by Lexicomp® risk categories and associated clinical parameters (Relative increase 2.3-fold higher prevalence of category D interactions in multipolypharmacy group compared to polypharmacy group, p=0.002).

What does this research mean for the field?

Geriatric patients with multipolypharmacy (≥10 medications) experience a 2.3-fold higher prevalence of clinically significant category D drug interactions compared to those with standard polypharmacy (5-9 medications). Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the prevalence and severity of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in geriatric patients with polypharmacy.

February 28, 2026Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care0 citations

Prevalence and clinical impact of drug–drug interactions in geriatric patients with polypharmacy

ATAslı Gizem Tıraşçı NONur Düzen Oflas

Key Result

Patients using ≥10 medications had a 2.3-fold higher prevalence of clinically significant category D drug interactions (57.9% vs. 24.6%, p=0.002) compared to those using 5-9 medications.

Key Points

To evaluate the prevalence and severity of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in geriatric patients with polypharmacy.
Conducted a retrospective analysis of patients aged 65 and older
Included patients using 5 or more medications for chronic conditions
Evaluated DDIs using the Lexicomp® Drug Interactions Database
Compared clinical parameters between polypharmacy and multipolypharmacy groups
Included 259 patients with a mean age of 72.8 years; 55.2% female
Common chronic conditions included hypertension (95.4%), coronary artery disease (76.1%), and diabetes (61.8%)
Multipolypharmacy patients had higher rates of coronary artery disease (100% vs. 74.2%, p=0.011) and chronic kidney disease (89.5% vs. 34.6%)

Study Design

Type

Observational (n=259)

Multicenter

Structured PICO

Does multipolypharmacy (≥10 drugs) compared to polypharmacy (5-9 drugs) increase the prevalence of severe drug-drug interactions and adverse clinical parameters in geriatric patients?

Population

259 patients aged ≥65 years (mean age 72.8, 55.2% female) attending an internal medicine outpatient clinic in Turkiye, using ≥5 medications for chronic diseases. Excluded: patients receiving active oncological treatment, patients on routine hemodialysis, and those with incomplete medical records.

Intervention

Multipolypharmacy (concurrent use of ≥10 medications)

Comparator

Polypharmacy (concurrent use of 5-9 medications)

Outcome

Prevalence and severity of potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) evaluated using the Lexicomp Drug Interactions Database, and comparison of clinical and laboratory parameterssafety

In geriatric patients, multipolypharmacy (≥10 medications) is associated with a significantly higher risk of severe drug-drug interactions and worse renal function compared to standard polypharmacy (5-9 medications).

Main Result

Effect estimate: Relative increase 2.3-fold higher prevalence of category D interactions in multipolypharmacy group compared to polypharmacy group

Absolute Event Rate: 57.9% vs 24.6%

p-value: p=0.002

Limitations

Retrospective design limits causal inferences
Single-center study limits generalizability
Medication data may miss OTC and herbal supplements
No assessment of actual adverse drug events, only potential DDIs
Small size of multipolypharmacy group (n=19) limits statistical power
No evaluation of medication adherence
No multiple-comparison adjustment applied, limiting interpretation of borderline p-values
Potential residual confounding from comorbidity burden
Possible selection and information bias due to retrospective data

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) and their clinical outcomes in patients aged 65 years and above with polypharmacy attending internal medicine outpatient clinics. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients aged 65 and over who visited the Internal Medicine Outpatient Clinic at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Medical Center between June 1, 2024, and February 1, 2025. Patients using ≥5 medications for chronic diseases (excluding those with active malignancy or on routine hemodialysis) were included. DDIs were evaluated using the Lexicomp® Drug Interactions Database and classified into risk categories A, B, C, D, and X. Clinical and laboratory parameters were compared between polypharmacy (5-9 drugs) and multipolypharmacy (≥10 drugs) groups. Results: A total of 259 patients were included (mean age: 72.8±6.3 years; 55.2% female). The most prevalent chronic conditions were hypertension (95.4%), coronary artery disease (76.1%), and diabetes mellitus (61.8%). Patients in the multipolypharmacy group had significantly higher rates of coronary artery disease (100% vs. 74.2%, p=0.011) and chronic kidney disease (89.5% vs. 34.6%, p

问 AI

Bookmark

View Full Paper