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Table 3 Frequency of potentially inappropriate medications and drug-drug interactions

From: Epidemiology and associated factors of polypharmacy in older patients in primary care: a northern Italian cross-sectional study

Potentially inappropriate drugs according to the Beers-list [24]

Number of PIMs (total)

Median (IQR)

Mean ± SDa

Min

Max

341 (6.1% of all prescribed drugs)

0 (0 – 1)

0.6 ± 0.8

0

4

n PIMs per patient

n patients

% of participating patients

0

313

54.1%

1

207

35.7%

≥ 2

59

10.2%

TOTAL patients with ≥ 1 Beers-listed drug

266

45.9%

D or X b drug-drug interactions [26]

Number of DDIs (total)

Median per patient (IQR)

Min

Max

776

1 (0 – 2)

0

8

n D or Xb interactions per patient

n patients

% of participating patients

0

188

32.5%

1

187

32.3%

2

103

17.8%

≥ 3

101

17.4%

TOTAL patients with ≥ 1 D or X interaction

391

67.5%

  1. PIMs Potentially inappropriate drugs, IQR Interquartile range, SD Standard deviation, Min Minimum, Max Maximum, DDIs Drug-drug interactions
  2. a As the median was 0, in this case also the mean per patient is reported to provide better comprehensibility
  3. b Drug-drug interactions: category D = consider drug modification, category X = avoid combination [26]