Polypharmacy among patients with hypertension attending primary healthcare centres

Alsanosi, S. M., Mousa, A. H., Ahmadini, H. A., Qadhi, R. S., Ikram, N., Felemban, A. H., Alqashqri, H. S., Hariri, N. H., Alhindi, Y. Z. and Ayoub, N. (2023) Polypharmacy among patients with hypertension attending primary healthcare centres. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 85(6), pp. 2545-2549. (doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000000818) (PMID:37363582) (PMCID:PMC10289761)

Abstract

Introduction: Saudi Arabia has several hypertensive patients who require close attention and specialised care for their medications. Polypharmacy is one of the reasons for the failure of patient compliance with antihypertensive medications. Therefore, this study aims to gain a better perspective on polypharmacy in hypertensive patients attending primary healthcare (PHC) centres in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study of hypertensive patients followed up at 10 PHC centres in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2022. Frequencies and percentages were used to present categorical data, and Pearson’s χ2 test was used to measure differences. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 506 patients were included in this study. The mean age of the patients was 60 years, and more than half (69%) were females. Regarding antihypertensive medication use, 64% were on antihypertensive combination therapy, 76% on dual therapy, 21% on triple therapy, and 3% on quadruple therapy. Moreover, 21% of the hypertensive patients were exposed to polypharmacy. There was a significant relationship (P<0.001) between the overall number of chronic medications used per day and the duration of hypertension. Conclusion: More clinical research is needed to identify the impact of polypharmacy on the quality of healthcare in PHC centres in general and hypertensive patients specifically in different regions of Saudi Arabia.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: Polypharmacy, medical prescribing, Saudi Arabia, antihypertensive.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Qadhi, Rawabi Sohiel H and Alsanosi, Dr Safaa
• Authors: Alsanosi, S. M., Mousa, A. H., Ahmadini, H. A., Qadhi, R. S., Ikram, N., Felemban, A. H., Alqashqri, H. S., Hariri, N. H., Alhindi, Y. Z., and Ayoub, N.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health
• Journal Name: Annals of Medicine and Surgery
• Publisher: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
• ISSN: 2049-0801
• ISSN (Online): 2049-0801
• Published Online: 10 May 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Annals of Medicine and Surgery 85(6): 2545-2549
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License