Table 2.
Drug use in older people living in a nursing home versus those living at home
| Drug therapeutic group (ATC-3th level)a | Drug use prevalence (%) | Relative Risk (RR) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H (n = 48,944) | NH (n = 2313) | 95% CI | p-value | |
| Opioids | 22.7 | 46.3 | 2.0 (2.0, 2.1) | <0.01 |
| Paracetamol | 18.2 | 72.1 | 4.0 (3.9, 4.1) | <0.01 |
| Antiepileptic drugs | 4.0 | 9.5 | 2.4 (2.1, 2.7) | <0.01 |
| Dopaminergic drugs | 1.5 | 3.9 | 2.7 (2.2, 3.4) | <0.01 |
| Antipsychotics | 4.0 | 17.2 | 4.3 (3.9, 4.8) | <0.01 |
| Anxiolytics | 16.2 | 48.4 | 3.0 (2.9, 3.1) | <0.01 |
| Hypnotics/sedatives | 28.6 | 49.2 | 1.7 (1.7, 1.8) | <0.01 |
| Antidepressants | 11.2 | 31.6 | 2.8 (2.7, 1.8) | <0.01 |
| Antidementia drugs | 2.0 | 11.4 | 5.7 (5.0, 6.5) | <0.01 |
| Cardiac glycosides | 3.2 | 5.8 | 1.8 (1.5, 2.2) | <0.01 |
| Cardiac nitrates | 7.5 | 15.4 | 2.1 (1.9, 2.3) | <0.01 |
| Loop diuretics | 14.0 | 31.7 | 2.3 (2.1, 2.4) | <0.01 |
| Other diureticsb | 6.6 | 2.9 | 0.4 (0.3, 0.6) | <0.01 |
| Beta-blockers | 29.1 | 24.8 | 0.9 (0.8, 0.9) | <0.01 |
| Calcium channel blockers | 19.6 | 9.0 | 0.5 (0.4, 0.5) | <0.01 |
| Renin–angiotensin drugs | 41.1 | 18.6 | 0.5 (0.4, 0.5) | <0.01 |
| Statins | 35.0 | 5.7 | 0.2 (0.1, 0.2) | <0.01 |
| Antithrombotic agentsc | 47.4 | 44.0 | 0.9 (0.9, 1.0) | <0.01 |
| Inhalatorsd | 17.8 | 18.3 | 1.0 (0.9, 1.1) | 0.55 |
| Corticosteroids, systemic | 10.2 | 6.6 | 0.7 (0.6, 0.8) | <0.01 |
| Antihistamines, systemic | 11.6 | 8.2 | 0.7 (0.6, 0.8) | <0.01 |
| Vitamin B12 and folic acid | 6.5 | 13.6 | 2.1 (1.9, 2.4) | <0.01 |
| Thyroid therapy | 10.9 | 16.1 | 1.5 (1.4, 1.6) | <0.01 |
| Peptic ulcer drugse | 17.2 | 21.4 | 1.3 (1.2, 1.4) | <0.01 |
| Antidiabeticsf | 10.2 | 11.1 | 1.1 (1.0, 1.2) | 0.15 |
| Drugs for glaucoma | 9.3 | 10.4 | 1.1 (1.0, 1.3) | 0.08 |
| Oestrogens | 6.3 | 4.6 | 0.7 (0.6, 0.9) | <0.01 |
| Benign prostate hypertrophy drugs | 6.1 | 2.3 | 0.4 (0.3, 0.5) | <0.01 |
| Osteoporosis drugs | 6.5 | 2.1 | 0.3 (0.3, 0.4) | <0.01 |
| NSAIDs | 20.7 | 5.5 | 0.3 (0.2, 0.3) | <0.01 |
H (home population), NH (nursing home population). RR (relative risk with 95% confidence interval and p-value and the population living at home as the reference group)
aDrugs with prevalence rates ≥5% in at least one of the populations, except for dopaminergic drugs
bThe vast majority were thiazides
cMostly anti-platelet agents, such acetylsalicylic acid (36.2% vs. 31.2%) and warfarin (11.5% vs. 9.0%)
dSteroid, adrenergic and anticholinergic inhalators
eThe vast majority were proton pump inhibitors
fOral antidiabetic drugs RR = 2.4(2.0, 2.9) and insulin RR = 0.7(0.6, 0.9)