Multimedication in Sweden is increasing. In 2016, 11.1 percent of Swedes over the age of 75, equivalent to over 95,500 individuals, were prescribed ten or more prescription drugs. This represented an increase of over 9,500 individuals compared to 2014. At the same time, more women than men in the same age group were taking multiple medications – over 59,000 women compared to over 36,000 men in 2016. This is according to new data compiled by the National Board of Health and Welfare on behalf of medical technology company MediRätt.
Nearly half, 48.1 percent or over 415,000, of all Swedes over the age of 75 are prescribed five or more medications. 11.1 percent, equivalent to over 95,500 Swedes in the same age group, are prescribed ten or more medications. This represents an increase of approximately one percentage point in both groups since 2014. Among women over the age of 75, 11.9 percent, equivalent to over 59,000 individuals, were prescribed ten or more medications. This can be compared to 9.9 percent, or over 36,000, of men.
“The fact that more Swedes are being prescribed medication is not inherently negative; it means that more people can treat illnesses and ailments and thus live healthier lives as they age. However, the risk of dosage errors and side effects increases with the number of medications taken concurrently. Therefore, it is important that Swedes have the tools necessary for safe and secure medication administration,” says Göran Sjönell, General Practitioner and founder of MediRätt.
An investigation by the National Board of Health and Welfare reveals that one in ten hospital admissions for individuals over the age of 75 is due to medication side effects, amounting to 35,000 cases per year in Sweden. This raises concerns for relatives and results in significant costs for public healthcare. Each avoided hospitalization leads to savings of SEK 55,330.
“With the right digital solutions for more reliable and error-free medication administration, we can prevent unnecessary and potentially harmful hospital care for healthy seniors. In doing so, we alleviate anxiety for older Swedes and their relatives while freeing up hospital beds, time, and resources for nurses, doctors, and healthcare institutions. This is a highly relevant issue at a time when healthcare is facing significant resource challenges,” says Göran Sjönell.
MediRätt is a Swedish medical technology company that develops digital solutions for safer medication management, including Dosell, a medication dispenser placed in the home. By automatically dispensing medication in dose packets according to the doctor’s prescription, Dosell ensures that the user receives the prescribed medication at the right time. The product is equipped with audio and visual signals that remind the user when it is time to take their medication and can also alert healthcare personnel if necessary. This minimizes the risk of overdosing, taking the wrong combination of medications, or forgetting to take medication altogether. Additionally, if desired, relatives can be informed about the user’s medication intake.
About the survey: The National Board of Health and Welfare, on behalf of MediRätt, collected information from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register (which contains data on all prescriptions collected at pharmacies) on the number of Swedes prescribed five or more and ten or more medications between 2014 and 2016. The breakdown was done by gender and on a rolling five-year basis for Swedes over 55 years of age. The number of individuals in each age category and gender was then dividedby the population during each respective year.