Prescribed drugs and polypharmacy in healthcare service users in South Korea: an analysis based on National Health Insurance Claims data
Hae-Young Park1, Hyun-Nam Ryu2, Mi Kyong Shim3, Hyun Soon Sohn3, Jin-Won Kwon1
1 College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2 College of Natural Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, and 3 Graduate School of Clinical Pharmacy, CHA University, Gyeonggi, South Korea
DOI 10.5414/CP202484
Abstract
Objective: This study was conducted to analyze and compare the exposure to individually prescribed drugs and the prevalence of polypharmacy according to age group and concomitant disease in South Korea. Methods: The use of prescribed drugs was evaluated according to average numbers of prescription drugs used daily during a year or month, using the Korean Health Insurance Claims Database, which is representative of over 90% of citizens, in 2010 and 2011. The use of prescribed drugs was also analyzed according to concomitant diseases and age. Polypharmacy was defined as the use of 5 or more drugs daily during a specific observation period, and proportions of polypharmacy users were calculated according to comorbidity and age group. Results: The annual average numbers of daily used prescription drugs in 2010 and 2011 were 0.3 (SD = 0.5), 0.4 (SD = 0.7), 1.2 (SD = 1.5), and 2.3 (SD = 2.0) for people aged < 20 years, 20 – 49 years, 50 – 64 years, and ≥ 65 years, respectively. Proportions of individuals demonstrating polypharmacy increased with age and were 9.5% and 44.1% for elderly individuals in the year- and month-based analyses, respectively. The annual average number of daily medications used increased by ~ 2 drugs in the concomitant disease group, and the higher mortality group used a higher number of prescribed drugs than the lower mortality group. Conclusions: The results highlight the elevated burden of multi-medication in elderly patients, and the study found that prescribed drug use increased with age and the number of concomitant diseases.
Author Details
Authors
Departments
- 1 College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
- 2 College of Natural Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, and
- 3 Graduate School of Clinical Pharmacy, CHA University, Gyeonggi, South Korea
Address
Jin-Won Kwon, MPH, PhD
College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Kyungpook National University
80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu 702-701, South Korea
or
Hyun Soon Sohn, PhD
Graduate School of Clinical Pharmacy
CHA University
335 Pankoro, Bundanggu, Sungnamsi,
Gyeonggi 487-010, South Korea
Email:
[email protected] or [email protected]
Citation
Hae-Young Park, Hyun-Nam Ryu, Mi Kyong Shim, Hyun Soon Sohn, and Jin-Won Kwon. Prescribed drugs and polypharmacy in healthcare service users in South Korea: an analysis based on National Health Insurance Claims data. 2016; 54: 369-377. doi: 10.5414/CP202484.
