Table 1 Characteristics of the study population as of 01 January 2019

Overall count (number of people)

286,200

305,526

591,726

Age group (years) in 2019

 65-74

149,168 (52.1%)

147,918 (48.4%)

297,086 (50.2%)

 75-84

96,114 (33.6%)

110,534 (36.2%)

206,648 (34.9%)

 85-94

36,970 (12.9%)

43,127 (14.1%)

80,097 (13.5%)

 95+

3,948 (1.4%)

3,947 (1.3%)

7,895 (1.3%)

Sex

 Male

130,550 (45.6%)

138,847 (45.4%)

269,397 (45.5%)

 Female

155,650 (54.4%)

166,679 (54.6%)

322,329 (54.5%)

Ethnicity

 Asian/British Asian

2,201 (0.8%)

2,184 (0.7%)

4,385 (0.7%)

 Black/Black British

569 (0.2%)

484 (0.2%)

1,053 (0.2%)

 Mixed

282 (0.1%)

229 (0.1%)

511 (0.1%)

 Other

1,072 (0.4%)

1,033 (0.3%)

2,105 (0.4%)

 White

143,017 (50.0%)

140,015 (45.8%)

283,032 (47.8%)

 Missing

139,059 (48.6%)

161,581 (52.9%)

300,640 (50.8%)

Townsend Score quintile

 Quintile 1 (least deprived)

42,823 (15.0%)

44,588 (14.6%)

87,411 (14.8%)

 Quintile 2

50,671 (17.7%)

52,117 (17.1%)

102,788 (17.4%)

 Quintile 3

80,077 (28.0%)

87,105 (28.5%)

167,182 (28.3%)

 Quintile 4

74,446 (26.0%)

79,073 (25.9%)

153,519 (25.9%)

 Quintile 5 (most deprived)

38,183 (13.3%)

42,643 (14.0%)

80,826 (13.7%)

Practice region

 Scotland

101,940 (35.6%)

132,131 (43.2%)

234,071 (39.6%)

 Wales

74,115 (25.9%)

94,792 (31.0%)

168,907 (28.5%)

 Northern Ireland

23,214 (8.1%)

22,205 (7.3%)

45,419 (7.7%)

 London

12,984 (4.5%)

6,523 (2.1%)

19,507 (3.3%)

 Rest of England

73,947 (25.8%)

49,875 (16.3%)

123,822 (20.9%)

Number of ongoing prescriptions at baseline

 1

42,825 (15.0%)

24,454 (8.0%)

67,279 (11.4%)

 2-4

114,980 (40.2%)

106,088 (34.7%)

221,068 (37.4%)

 5-9

101,209 (35.4%)

130,820 (42.8%)

232,029 (39.2%)

 10-14

23,437 (8.2%)

37,335 (12.2%)

60,772 (10.3%)

 15-19

3,338 (1.2%)

6,028 (2.0%)

9,366 (1.6%)

 20+

411 (0.1%)

801 (0.3%)

1,212 (0.2%)

Medication review in previous year (2018)

120,457 (42.1%)

207,071 (67.8%)

327,528 (55.4%)

Living in a care home

3,892 (1.4%)

7,569 (2.5%)

11,461 (1.9%)

Medicines prescribed in the 6 months prior to baseline

 NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)

21,485 (7.5%)

23,446 (7.7%)

44,931 (7.6%)

 Oral anticoagulants

26,574 (9.3%)

39,351 (12.9%)

65,925 (11.1%)

 Aspirin/antiplatelet medicines

67,694 (23.7%)

84,330 (27.6%)

152,024 (25.7%)

 Renin-angiotensin system drugs

108,410 (37.9%)

133,328 (43.6%)

241,738 (40.9%)

 Diuretics

64,065 (22.4%)

82,012 (26.8%)

146,077 (24.7%)

 Opioids (including combination painkillers)

65,708 (23.0%)

83,406 (27.3%)

149,114 (25.2%)

 Antidepressants

53,880 (18.8%)

71,215 (23.3%)

125,095 (21.1%)

 Antipsychotics

4,803 (1.7%)

6,622 (2.2%)

11,425 (1.9%)

 Bisphosphonates

16,805 (5.9%)

20,572 (6.7%)

37,377 (6.3%)

 Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs

20,085 (7.0%)

26,171 (8.6%)

46,256 (7.8%)

 Gabapentinoids

12,944 (4.5%)

19,134 (6.3%)

32,078 (5.4%)

 Inhaled long-acting beta-antagonists and corticosteroids

36,131 (12.6%)

47,782 (15.6%)

83,913 (14.2%)

 Lithium

470 (0.2%)

697 (0.2%)

1,167 (0.2%)

 Anticholinergic medicines

49,935 (17.4%)

64,667 (21.2%)

114,602 (19.4%)