Table 2.
Patient characteristics associated with dispensing of ≥10 drugs in 2010*
| Variable (no. of patients) | Proportion (95% CI) dispensed ≥10 drugs | Univariate multilevel odds ratio (95% CI) | Adjusted multilevel odds ratio (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age groups (years) | |||
| 20–29 (n = 51,197) | 0.3 (0.2–0.3) | Reference | Reference |
| 30–39 (n = 47,857) | 0.7 (0.6–0.8) | 2.81 (2.31–3.41) | 2.91 (2.38–3.56) |
| 40–49 (n = 60,077) | 1.7 (1.5–2.0) | 6.78 (5.69–8.09) | 7.16 (5.98–8.58) |
| 50–59 (n = 52,751) | 4.1 (3.6–4.6) | 16.9 (14.2–20.0) | 18.0 (15.1–21.5) |
| 60–69 (n = 47,080) | 8.7 (7.9–9.4) | 38.1 (32.2–45.2) | 41.1 (34.6–48.8) |
| 70–79 (n = 32,986) | 17.1 (16.1–18.2) | 83.4 (70.5–98.7) | 87.5 (73.7–104.0) |
| 80+ (n = 19,933) | 24.0 (22.9–25.1) | 130.0 (10.9.8–153.9) | 118.3 (99.5–140.7) |
| Sex | |||
| Male (n = 151,202) | 4.6 (4.3–4.8) | Reference | Reference |
| Female (n = 160,679) | 7.0 (6.7–7.4) | 1.59 (1.54–1.64) | 1.34 (1.30–1.39) |
| Deprivation quintile | |||
| 1 (affluent) (n = 56,416) | 4.9 (4.5–5.4) | Reference | Reference |
| 2 (n = 94,090) | 5.3 (5.0–5.7) | 1.13 (1.07–1.19) | 1.21 (1.14–1.28) |
| 3 (n = 53,990) | 5.3 (5.0–5.6) | 1.04 (0.99–1.10) | 1.32 (1.24–1.39) |
| 4 (n = 49,387) | 6.4 (6.0–6.7) | 1.33 (1.26–1.40) | 1.70 (1.61–1.79) |
| 5 (deprived) (n = 50,877) | 7.6 (7.1–8.1) | 1.58 (1.49–1.67) | 2.36 (2.22–2.51) |
| SEURC category # | |||
| Primary city (n = 121,804) | 6.5 (6.1–6.9) | Reference | Reference |
| Urban area (n = 80,401) | 6.0 (5.5–6.5) | 0.91 (0.84–1.00) | 0.96 (0.88–1.05) |
| Accessible area (n = 78,490) | 5.0 (4.6–5.4) | 0.74 (0.69–0.80) | 0.84 (0.78–0.92) |
| Remote area (n = 24,268) | 5.7 (5.0–6.3) | 0.85 (0.75–0.96) | 0.83 (0.73–0.94) |
| Living | |||
| In own home (n = 308,660) | 5.5 (5.2–5.8) | Reference | Reference |
| In care home (n = 3,221) | 36.5 (33.8–39.1) | 9.91 (9.21–10.67) | 2.88 (2.65–3.13) |
*Practice level variables not significant in either univariate or adjusted models (list size, accreditation for postgraduate training, dispensing medicines [marginally significant association in univariate analysis], type of NHS contract).
#Scottish Executive Urban–rural Classification.