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Table 2 Patient characteristics associated with dispensing of ≥10 drugs in 2010*

From: The rising tide of polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions: population database analysis 1995–2010

Variable (no. of patients)

Proportion (95% CI) dispensed ≥10 drugs

Univariate multilevel odds ratio (95% CI)

Adjusted multilevel odds ratio (95% CI)

Age groups (years)

   

20–29 (n = 51,197)

0.3 (0.2–0.3)

Reference

Reference

30–39 (n = 47,857)

0.7 (0.6–0.8)

2.81 (2.31–3.41)

2.91 (2.38–3.56)

40–49 (n = 60,077)

1.7 (1.5–2.0)

6.78 (5.69–8.09)

7.16 (5.98–8.58)

50–59 (n = 52,751)

4.1 (3.6–4.6)

16.9 (14.2–20.0)

18.0 (15.1–21.5)

60–69 (n = 47,080)

8.7 (7.9–9.4)

38.1 (32.2–45.2)

41.1 (34.6–48.8)

70–79 (n = 32,986)

17.1 (16.1–18.2)

83.4 (70.5–98.7)

87.5 (73.7–104.0)

80+ (n = 19,933)

24.0 (22.9–25.1)

130.0 (10.9.8–153.9)

118.3 (99.5–140.7)

Sex

   

Male (n = 151,202)

4.6 (4.3–4.8)

Reference

Reference

Female (n = 160,679)

7.0 (6.7–7.4)

1.59 (1.54–1.64)

1.34 (1.30–1.39)

Deprivation quintile

   

1 (affluent) (n = 56,416)

4.9 (4.5–5.4)

Reference

Reference

2 (n = 94,090)

5.3 (5.0–5.7)

1.13 (1.07–1.19)

1.21 (1.14–1.28)

3 (n = 53,990)

5.3 (5.0–5.6)

1.04 (0.99–1.10)

1.32 (1.24–1.39)

4 (n = 49,387)

6.4 (6.0–6.7)

1.33 (1.26–1.40)

1.70 (1.61–1.79)

5 (deprived) (n = 50,877)

7.6 (7.1–8.1)

1.58 (1.49–1.67)

2.36 (2.22–2.51)

SEURC category #

   

Primary city (n = 121,804)

6.5 (6.1–6.9)

Reference

Reference

Urban area (n = 80,401)

6.0 (5.5–6.5)

0.91 (0.84–1.00)

0.96 (0.88–1.05)

Accessible area (n = 78,490)

5.0 (4.6–5.4)

0.74 (0.69–0.80)

0.84 (0.78–0.92)

Remote area (n = 24,268)

5.7 (5.0–6.3)

0.85 (0.75–0.96)

0.83 (0.73–0.94)

Living

   

In own home (n = 308,660)

5.5 (5.2–5.8)

Reference

Reference

In care home (n = 3,221)

36.5 (33.8–39.1)

9.91 (9.21–10.67)

2.88 (2.65–3.13)

  1. *Practice level variables not significant in either univariate or adjusted models (list size, accreditation for postgraduate training, dispensing medicines [marginally significant association in univariate analysis], type of NHS contract).
  2. #Scottish Executive Urban–rural Classification.