Consumption and use of psychotropic drugs, painkillers and potentially inappropriate medications among elderly people in Valais

Consommation et usage de psychotropes, d'analgésiques et de médicaments potentiellement inappropriés chez les personnes âgées en Valais

With an ageing population, the increase of chronic diseases, the development and the expansion of medication options for the treatment and the prevention of diseases, drug consumption in Switzerland is increasing considerably.

As a result, more and more patients, especially elderly patients, are taking multiple medications daily, including painkillers and psychotropic drugs. This leads to an increased risk of drug interactions, side effects, medication errors or non-adherence to treatment. On the other hand, the patient should be treated optimally according to his or her needs and it is not appropriate to limit the number of drugs arbitrarily. 

Objectives

The first goal of this project is to better understand the use of specific potentially low-value drugs in the elderly population. The sociodemographic dimensions associated with the use of these drugs will help target policies and interventions. The second goal is to quantify the potential misuse of specific drugs. The third goal is to understand the initiation or discontinuation of these drugs, especially around two types of events: a hospitalisation and an entry in a nursing homes. The study of these three goals will help for the future to better manage the pharmacology of an ageing population.