Prevalence and patterns of polypharmacy in peritoneal dialysis patients: An experience from a general hospital in thailand

Abstract

Patients on peritoneal dialysis have a burden from comorbidities and risk of medication prescription. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence, patterns, and factors associated with polypharmacy in peritoneal dialysis patients. A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 245 patients who were undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Polypharmacy is defined as five or more medications per day. The results of our study showed that the prevalence of polypharmacy was 96%. The most common drug prescription type was blood pressure-lowering agents. In the multivariate model, only hypertension was a significant independent factor associated with polypharmacy (OR 6.97; 95%CI 1.34-36.15; p =0.021, after adjusting for age, gender, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia). In conclusion, a high prevalence of polypharmacy was identified in peritoneal dialysis patients in our study. Further studies should focus on drug interactions, awareness of medical nonadherence, and over-the-counter medication. © 2021, Mahidol University - ASEAN Institute for Health Development. All rights reserved.