Analysis of Determinants and Prevalence of Polypharmacy in Malacca
Abstract
Polypharmacy is referring to use of multiple medications. Over time, the definition of polypharmacy has evolved to encompass actions such as taking unnecessary or using multiple drugs from the same therapeutic category to treat a single disease or health problem. Generally, the concurrent use of five or more medications is widely accepted as a threshold for classifying polypharmacy. This condition is associated with an increased risk of negative health outcomes, as the potential adverse effects may outweigh the therapeutic benefits. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with polypharmacy. A total of 400 participants, aged 20 to 78 years, were recruited for a questionnaire-based survey. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 22. The primary factors contributing to polypharmacy were identified using binary logistic regression. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of the 400 participants, 166 individuals (41.5%) reported taking more than five medications simultaneously, indicating a high prevalence of polypharmacy in Malacca. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of multiple comorbidities was the most significant factor associated with polypharmacy in this population. The prevalence of polypharmacy in Malacca was high, with 41.5% of participants affected. The study identified the presence of multiple chronic illnesses as the primary contributor to this trend. These findings are crucial for informing future research and interventions, and may serve as a reference for developing guidelines to manage and reduce polypharmacy in similar populations.
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