Læknablaðið - 15.01.2009, Side 17

FRÆÐIGREINAR
RANNSÓKNIR
Prevalence of psychotropic drug use among elderly lcelanders living at home
Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of psychotropic
drug use among home-dwelling elderly lcelanders in the
year 2006.
Materials and Methods: A population-based drug
utilization study using the lcelandic Medicines Registry.
The study group consisted of lcelanders, seventy
years and older living at home (8% of total population).
Prevalence of antidepressant, neuroieptic, anxiolytic and
hypnotic use (ATC-groups N06A, N05A, N05B, N05C) was
defined as the dispension per 100 individuals of one or
more prescriptions for these drugs within the year 2006.
For cross-national comparison we used data for 70-74
year olds in the Danish Registry of Medicinal Product
Statistics.
Results: One third of all dispensed prescriptions in lceland
in 2006 were for people aged 70 years and older, and
one fourth were for psychotropics. Elderly women were
more likely than men to use psychotropics (RR=1.40 95%
Cl: 1.37-1.43). The prevalence of psychotropic use was
65.5% for women and 46.8% for men. Anxiolytics and
hypnotics (N05B or N05C) were the most frequently used
psychotropics, with a prevalence of 58.5% for women and
40.3% for men. Antidepressants were used by 28.8 % of
women and 18.4 % of men. Neuroleptics were used by
5%. By comparing 70-74 years old lcelanders and Danes,
the lcelanders were 1.5 to 2.5 times more likely to receive
any psychotropics drug in 2006.
Conclusion: Use of psychotropics, especially anxiolytics
and hypnotics, is common among elderly lcelanders.
Comparing information for 70 to 74 year olds with Danes
of same age, the prescribing of psychotropics is more
frequent in lceland.
Key words: psychotropics, drug use, prevalence, elderly, lceland.
Samuelsson O, Zoega H, Gudmundsson A, Halldorsson M. Prevalence of psychotropic drug use among elderly lcelanders
living at home. Icel Med J 2009; 95:11-17.
Correspondence: Olafur Samuelsson, olafs@landspitali.is
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Barst: 4. júlí 2008, - samþykkt til birtingar: 1. desember 2008.
LÆKNAblaðið 2009/95 1 7