Ersoy, SuleymanEngin, Velittin Selcuk2024-09-292024-09-2920191022-386X1681-7168https://doi.org/10.29271/jcpsp.2019.06.505https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14619/7197Objective: To investigate the rates of polypharmacy (PP) and its relations with accessibility to health services in chronic patients in a primary care setting. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Melekhatun Family Health Center, Istanbul, Turkey, from January 2014 to January 2017. Methodology: Chronically ill older adults were enrolled in the study. Patients were seen either at home or at health centre. Threshold for PP was five medications daily. Chi-square tests were applied for group comparisons of PP. Continuous variables were examined by Student's t-test. Logistic regressions followed. Results: Study population (n= 707) consisted of 442 female (62.5%) and 265 male (37.5%) subjects. Mean age was 73.6 +/- 7.1 years. Mean number of medicine used per day was 4.7 +/- 3.5. Polypharmacy rate was 32.8%. Although the number of chronic diseases, that at home patients had, was significantly higher, outpatients had 1.92 times higher risk for PP. Similarly, risk for PP was found 2.57-fold higher in insured patients. Conclusion: Univariate results of this study suggests that accessibility to health services also increases PP risk, in addition to known risk factors such as female gender, depression and chronic diseases. Same results draw our attention to the risk of inadequate treatment in those who lack health insurance. Longitudinal studies in larger scale are needed for further assessment of these relationships.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessChronic patientPolypharmacyComprehensive geriatric assessmentMedical insuranceHomebound patientArticle10.29271/jcpsp.2019.06.5052-s2.0-85066936125510631133145Q350529WOS:000469251800005Q4