Profile assessment of elderly dependent on aid for the use of drugs in the city of Diadema, SP

Background: Brazil will be the sixth country with the greatest number of elderly people in 2025. This increase is also associated with an increase in the prevalence of chronic degenerative diseases. These diseases directly affect elderly people as they depend on health services; and there is an increased demand for medicines. Objective: To describe the profile of the elderly who sought for drugs at a pharmacy in the city of Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil, in a given period, and the association between the need for help using medication and sociodemographic variables, lifestyle, search for health services and to knowledge about the drugs used by this population. Methods: A questionnaire containing 32 objectives and multiple-choice questions was applied to obtain this town’s elderly profile, regarding sociodemographic characterization, health status, self-medication habits, multidrug use, side effects and health service frequency of attendance. Results: Most of the elderly are women (66.33%), with incomplete high school (67.35%) and with arterial hypertension (16.12%); 37.7% of the elderly need help to take their medication. Conclusions: The results of this study can guide the rational prescription and plannning of actions to improve the quality of pharmaceutical care. This allows a more effective intervention of the pharmacist as a health professional, improving the adhesion of these elderly patients to their treatment regimens and promoting reductions in hospital costs by reducing the number of inappropriate prescriptions and hospitalizations. cos e promovendo a redução dos custos hospitalares, ao reduzir o número de prescrições inadequadas e internações