Study finds high rates of polypharmacy, self-medication among older adults in India

A cross-sectional study conducted among 600 older adults across six Indian cities has found that the prevalence of polypharmacy and unsafe self-medication is high in this population.

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Polypharmacy refers to the intake of five or more medications per day. Among those who self-medicated, a majority lacked knowledge about self-medication, and did not understand the risks associated with it, the study found.In the study - 'Polypharmacy and self-medication among older adults in Indian urban communities - a cross-sectional study' - published in Scientific Reports, researchers Das, S., Gnanavel, P., Smanla, S. et al. from the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, the Indian Council of Medical Research - Centre for Aging and Mental Health, Kolkata and a number of medical institutions including the Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Omandurar Government Estate, Chennai, have taken a close look at the medication usage and self-medication practices among older adults in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Ujjain, Patna and Guwahati.