Investigation of the relationships between polypharmacy, medication adherence, and quality of life in elderly individuals

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to identify the key factors affecting polypharmacy and medication adherence in elderly patients and to determine the impact of polypharmacy and medication adherence on their quality of life. The research was conducted on 326 patients aged 65 and older who applied to a family health center in Erzincan, Turkiye, between January and February 2025. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the data. The analyses indicated that increasing age affected polypharmacy, medication adherence, and quality of life of the elderly. Moreover, the type of disease and the medication cascade were identified as the determinants of polypharmacy, while the duration of the disease was observed to affect medication adherence. It was determined that polypharmacy affected medication adherence and quality of life, while gender and medication adherence also had a significant impact on the patient's quality of life (p<0.05). These findings suggest that polypharmacy and medication adherence have significant effects on the quality of life of elderly individuals. Therefore, it is important to monitor and evaluate polypharmacy regimens periodically with evidence-based therapeutic strategies and well-structured strategic plans to improve patients' quality of life and medication adherence.