[A descriptive study of long-term medication authorized in the health district of Llefiá (Badalona)].
OBJECTIVE: Analysis of authorised long-term medication and assessment of the quality of prescription. DESIGN: Descriptive, crossover study. SETTING: Primary care. PARTICIPANTS: Of a total of 4,667 authorised medication cards (AMC), 400 were selected by systematic random sampling. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Variables considered: age, gender, Social Security regime, pharmaceutical speciality, composition, presentation, method of administration, dosage, authorisation time, group/subgroup of anatomical therapeutic classification (ATC) and HPV. RESULTS: Average age: 61; 64.8% were women and 35.2% men; 67.25% were pensioners. 447 pharmaceutical compounds and 304 different active principals (most prescribed drugs: paracetamol, hydrochlorothiazide, nitroglycerine, acetylsalicylic acid and salbutamol); presentation: tablets and capsules; main way of administration: oral. Average dosage: 1.63 (11.29% not figuring). Average authorisation time: 11.6 months; average medicines per AMC: 3.03. Distribution by ATC: cardiovascular (30.8%); CNS (20.76%); digestive and metabolic (15.57%); respiratory (10.6%). 83.8% of prescriptions had HPV. 84.35% were single drugs. CONCLUSIONS: The mean profile of the patient with an AMC corresponds to a woman, aged 61 and a pensioner, with 3 medicines authorised for a year, one an analgesic (paracetamol), another an antihypertensive (diuretic) and a third more variable. They are mainly taken orally and once or twice a day. The majority are special compounds with HPV.