Significant Polypharmacy in the Elderly
This indicator data reflects the number of citizens aged 75 and older who, during each year's four-month observation period (August to November), have purchased 10 or more different medications from a pharmacy. When interpreting these figures, it should be noted that different years are not entirely comparable due to changes in the source register and regional classification.
In 2022, the proportion of individuals with significant polypharmacy was 20% of all elderly individuals aged 75 and older, and from 2020 to 2022, the proportion of individuals with significant polypharmacy increased annually in all well-being regions. Polypharmacy can be a deliberate and rational approach to treatment when the overall medication regimen has been appropriately assessed, and the need, correct usage, dosage, and medication-related issues for all available medications are regularly evaluated. However, polypharmacy can also increase the risks associated with medication therapy and the need for healthcare resources without providing clear additional benefits for health.
Well-being regions Sort the table ascending by the column | Users 2023 Sort the table ascending by the column | Population 2023 Sort the table ascending by the column | Percentage % 2023 Sort the table ascending by the column | Users 2022 Sort the table ascending by the column | Population 2022 Sort the table ascending by the column | Percentage % 2022 Sort the table ascending by the column | Users 2021 Sort the table ascending by the column | Population 2021 Sort the table ascending by the column | Percentage % 2021 Sort the table ascending by the column | Users 2020 Sort the table ascending by the column | Population 2020 Sort the table ascending by the column | Percentage % 2020 Sort the table ascending by the column |
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THE ENTIRE COUNTRY | 140 291 | 670 493 | 20,9 | 129 268 | 645 718 | 20,0 | 119 839 | 615 966 | 19,5 | 109 915 | 585 964 | 18,8 |
Varsinais-Suomi | 12 994 | 62 349 | 20,8 | 12 050 | 60 111 | 20,0 | 10 966 | 57 201 | 19,2 | 9 951 | 54 080 | 18,4 |
Satakunta | 6 537 | 32 277 | 20,3 | 6 085 | 31 239 | 19,5 | 5 577 | 29 913 | 18,6 | 4 989 | 28 720 | 17,4 |
Kanta-Häme | 5 160 | 23 750 | 21,7 | 4 735 | 22 749 | 20,8 | 4 257 | 21 631 | 19,7 | 3 954 | 20 524 | 19,3 |
Pirkanmaa | 12 588 | 62 967 | 20,0 | 11 713 | 60 591 | 19,3 | 10 673 | 57 629 | 18,5 | 9 837 | 54 663 | 18,0 |
Päijät-Häme | 6 128 | 30 113 | 20,4 | 5 631 | 28 871 | 19,5 | 5 198 | 27 550 | 18,9 | 4 651 | 26 119 | 17,8 |
Kymenlaakso | 6 095 | 25 047 | 24,3 | 5 689 | 24 318 | 23,4 | 5 419 | 23 305 | 23,3 | 4 930 | 22 488 | 21,9 |
South Karelia | 3 358 | 19 065 | 17,6 | 2 881 | 18 504 | 15,6 | 2 686 | 17 839 | 15,1 | 2 438 | 17 220 | 14,2 |
South Savo | 4 911 | 22 386 | 21,9 | 4 486 | 21 849 | 20,5 | 4 174 | 21 000 | 19,9 | 3 798 | 20 303 | 18,7 |
North Savo | 8 532 | 33 273 | 25,6 | 7 859 | 32 195 | 24,4 | 7 345 | 30 978 | 23,7 | 7 102 | 29 760 | 23,9 |
North Karelia | 5 245 | 22 917 | 22,9 | 4 722 | 22 182 | 21,3 | 4 355 | 21 265 | 20,5 | 4 012 | 20 196 | 19,9 |
Central Finland | 7 166 | 34 291 | 20,9 | 6 471 | 32 983 | 19,6 | 6 050 | 31 393 | 19,3 | 5 447 | 30 001 | 18,2 |
South Ostrobothnia | 5 941 | 26 529 | 22,4 | 5 511 | 25 679 | 21,5 | 5 171 | 24 672 | 21,0 | 4 867 | 23 680 | 20,6 |
Ostrobothnia | 3 912 | 22 799 | 17,2 | 3 656 | 22 236 | 16,4 | 3 413 | 21 501 | 15,9 | 3 002 | 20 494 | 14,6 |
Central Ostrobothnia | 2 309 | 8 755 | 26,4 | 2 131 | 8 347 | 25,5 | 2 046 | 7 889 | 25,9 | 1 859 | 7 512 | 24,7 |
North Ostrobothnia | 11 172 | 43 135 | 25,9 | 10 273 | 41 450 | 24,8 | 9 500 | 39 665 | 24,0 | 8 825 | 37 684 | 23,4 |
Kainuu | 2 318 | 10 649 | 21,8 | 2 148 | 10 382 | 20,7 | 2 059 | 10 063 | 20,5 | 2 041 | 9 787 | 20,9 |
Lapland | 4 817 | 23 222 | 20,7 | 4 477 | 22 538 | 19,9 | 4 147 | 21 575 | 19,2 | 3 894 | 20 652 | 18,9 |
Eastern Uusimaa | 2 303 | 11 852 | 19,4 | 2 083 | 11 270 | 18,5 | 1 907 | 10 687 | 17,8 | 1 724 | 10 009 | 17,2 |
Central Uusimaa | 4 179 | 20 063 | 20,8 | 3 915 | 18 964 | 20,6 | 3 745 | 17 823 | 21,0 | 3 371 | 16 522 | 20,4 |
Western Uusimaa | 8 477 | 46 162 | 18,4 | 7 772 | 43 809 | 17,7 | 7 219 | 41 151 | 17,5 | 6 466 | 38 302 | 16,9 |
Vantaa-Kerava | 4 526 | 23 253 | 19,5 | 4 223 | 22 086 | 19,1 | 3 815 | 20 707 | 18,4 | 3 326 | 19 240 | 17,3 |
Helsinki | 11 023 | 61 821 | 17,8 | 10 192 | 59 712 | 17,1 | 9 615 | 57 071 | 16,8 | 8 899 | 54 368 | 16,4 |
Åland Islands | 501 | 3 818 | 13,1 | 484 | 3 653 | 13,2 | 431 | 3 458 | 12,5 | 375 | 3 284 | 11,4 |
Table 1. The percentage of the population aged 75 and older (at least 75 years old at the end of the respective year) who have purchased 10 or more different medications during each year's four-month observation period (August to November), starting from 2020, for the entire country and by well-being regions. Source: Kela, Kanta services Prescription Center.
Hospital districts Sort the table ascending by the column | Users 2019 Sort the table ascending by the column | Population 2019 Sort the table ascending by the column | Percentage % 2019 Sort the table ascending by the column | Users 2018 Sort the table ascending by the column | Population 2018 Sort the table ascending by the column | Percentage % 2018 Sort the table ascending by the column | Users 2017 Sort the table ascending by the column | Population 2017 Sort the table ascending by the column | Percentage % 2017 Sort the table ascending by the column | Users 2016 Sort the table ascending by the column | Population 2016 Sort the table ascending by the column | Percentage % 2016 Sort the table ascending by the column | Users 2015 Sort the table ascending by the column | Population 2015 Sort the table ascending by the column | Percentage % 2015 Sort the table ascending by the column |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
THE ENTIRE COUNTRY | 74 282 | 561 292 | 13,2 | 69 753 | 549 051 | 12,7 | 66 105 | 585 608 | 11,3 | 64 302 | 535 795 | 12,0 | 59 738 | 515 333 | 11,6 |
Helsinki and Uusimaa | 15 464 | 129 631 | 11,9 | 14 366 | 124 407 | 11,5 | 13 742 | 131 994 | 10,4 | 13 334 | 117 697 | 11,3 | 12 266 | 111 708 | 11,0 |
Varsinais-Suomi | 6 864 | 52 263 | 13,1 | 6 225 | 51 055 | 12,2 | 5 948 | 54 523 | 10,9 | 5 843 | 50 057 | 11,7 | 5 384 | 48 287 | 11,2 |
Satakunta | 3 357 | 27 837 | 12,1 | 3 222 | 27 471 | 11,7 | 3 005 | 29 422 | 10,2 | 2 949 | 27 255 | 10,8 | 2 715 | 26 451 | 10,3 |
Kanta-Häme | 2 657 | 19 647 | 13,5 | 2 485 | 19 289 | 12,9 | 2 382 | 20 565 | 11,6 | 2 230 | 19 002 | 11,7 | 2 078 | 18 324 | 11,3 |
Pirkanmaa | 7 135 | 54 876 | 13,0 | 6 717 | 53 565 | 12,5 | 6 081 | 57 111 | 10,7 | 5 936 | 52 213 | 11,4 | 5 546 | 50 376 | 11,0 |
Päijät-Häme | 3 267 | 25 393 | 12,9 | 2 946 | 24 600 | 12,0 | 2 834 | 26 145 | 10,8 | 2 636 | 23 776 | 11,1 | 2 483 | 22 706 | 10,9 |
Kymenlaakso | 3 257 | 21 584 | 15,1 | 2 944 | 21 243 | 13,9 | 2 710 | 22 748 | 11,9 | 2 693 | 20 971 | 12,8 | 2 506 | 20 298 | 12,3 |
South Karelia | 1 532 | 16 829 | 9,1 | 1 550 | 16 691 | 9,3 | 1 459 | 17 828 | 8,2 | 1 398 | 16 522 | 8,5 | 1 395 | 15 952 | 8,7 |
South Savo | 1 937 | 14 033 | 13,8 | 1 837 | 13 873 | 13,2 | 1 785 | 14 857 | 12,0 | 1 684 | 13 843 | 12,2 | 1 631 | 13 413 | 12,2 |
East Savo | 759 | 6 342 | 12,0 | 714 | 6 246 | 11,4 | 682 | 6 696 | 10,2 | 657 | 6 231 | 10,5 | 643 | 6 139 | 10,5 |
North Karelia | 2 744 | 19 754 | 13,9 | 2 638 | 19 635 | 13,4 | 2 475 | 21 081 | 11,7 | 2 469 | 19 543 | 12,6 | 2 392 | 18 929 | 12,6 |
North Savo | 4 755 | 28 212 | 16,9 | 4 679 | 27 965 | 16,7 | 4 384 | 29 962 | 14,6 | 4 464 | 27 858 | 16,0 | 4 140 | 27 107 | 15,3 |
Central Finland | 3 573 | 25 871 | 13,8 | 3 327 | 25 497 | 13,0 | 3 151 | 27 213 | 11,6 | 3 120 | 25 100 | 12,4 | 2 889 | 24 149 | 12,0 |
South Ostrobothnia | 3 288 | 22 986 | 14,3 | 3 173 | 22 785 | 13,9 | 3 003 | 24 388 | 12,3 | 2 926 | 22 819 | 12,8 | 2 633 | 22 264 | 11,8 |
Vaasa | 1 877 | 18 928 | 9,9 | 1 777 | 18 609 | 9,5 | 1 673 | 19 853 | 8,4 | 1 593 | 18 267 | 8,7 | 1 423 | 17 672 | 8,1 |
Central Ostrobothnia | 1 436 | 8 408 | 17,1 | 1 275 | 8 224 | 15,5 | 1 263 | 8 811 | 14,3 | 1 171 | 8 120 | 14,4 | 1 118 | 7 796 | 14,3 |
North Ostrobothnia | 6 066 | 35 718 | 17,0 | 5 820 | 35 182 | 16,5 | 5 596 | 37 385 | 15,0 | 5 359 | 34 088 | 15,7 | 4 950 | 32 401 | 15,3 |
Kainuu | 1 356 | 9 500 | 14,3 | 1 264 | 9 440 | 13,4 | 1 194 | 10 123 | 11,8 | 1 186 | 9 446 | 12,6 | 1 082 | 9 151 | 11,8 |
Länsi-Pohja | 917 | 7 173 | 12,8 | 850 | 7 209 | 11,8 | 833 | 7 735 | 10,8 | 844 | 7 166 | 11,8 | 794 | 6 947 | 11,4 |
Lapland | 1 818 | 13 182 | 13,8 | 1 726 | 13 073 | 13,2 | 1 680 | 14 014 | 12,0 | 1 620 | 13 033 | 12,4 | 1 483 | 12 543 | 11,8 |
Åland Islands | 222 | 3 125 | 7,1 | 205 | 2 992 | 6,9 | 206 | 3 154 | 6,5 | 173 | 2 788 | 6,2 | 176 | 2 720 | 6,5 |
Table 2. The percentage of the population aged 75 and older (at least 75 years old at the end of the respective year) who have purchased 10 or more different medications during each year's four-month observation period (August to November), for the years 2015-2019, for the entire country and by hospital districts. Source: Kela, Reimbursed Medication Supplies from Health Insurance.