Table 2.
Total number of all recorded medications (counted with repetitions), subdivided by drug category and polypharmacy status of the patients with MS (N = 627).
| Total Polypharmacy | Rx Polypharmacy | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Category | Total Number of Drugs | PwP | Pw/oP | p | PwP | Pw/oP | p |
| All | 3341 (100%) | 2591 (77.6%) | 750 (22.4%) | 2060 (61.7%) | 1281 (38.3%) | ||
| Duration of use | 0.176 Fi | 0.013 Fi | |||||
| Long-term drugs | 2855 (85.5%) | 2226 (85.9%) | 629 (83.9%) | 1785 (86.7%) | 1070 (83.5%) | ||
| PRN drugs | 486 (14.5%) | 365 (14.1%) | 121 (16.1%) | 275 (13.3%) | 211 (16.5%) | ||
| Rx vs. OTC | 0.011 Fi | <0.001 Fi | |||||
| Rx drugs | 2630 (78.7%) | 2065 (79.7%) | 565 (75.3%) | 1766 (85.7%) | 864 (67.4%) | ||
| OTC drugs | 711 (21.3%) | 526 (20.3%) | 185 (24.7%) | 294 (14.3%) | 417 (32.6%) | ||
| Drug purpose | <0.001 Chi | <0.001 Chi | |||||
| DMD | 530 (15.9%) | 297 (11.5%) | 233 (31.1%) | 223 (10.8%) | 307 (24.0%) | ||
| Symptomatic drugs | 1253 (37.5%) | 1035 (39.9%) | 218 (29.0%) | 796 (38.6%) | 457 (35.7%) | ||
| Comorbidity drugs | 1558 (46.6%) | 1259 (48.6%) | 299 (39.9%) | 1041 (50.6%) | 517 (40.3%) | ||
Total polypharmacy = intake of at least five drugs (of any kind). Rx polypharmacy = intake of at least five drugs that were prescribed (neglecting OTC drugs). Chi—chi-squared test; DMD—disease-modifying drug; MS—multiple sclerosis; OTC—over the counter; p—p-value for comparing patients with and without polypharmacy; PwP—patients with polypharmacy; Pw/oP—patients without polypharmacy; PRN—pro re nata (on demand); Rx—prescription.