Objective:

To evaluate the applicability of the HAMC list (High Alert Medications for patients with Chronic Diseases) in an elderly population to promote their clinical safety.

Design:

Cross-sectional observational study.

Location:

Primary Care.

Participants:

People >65 years old selected by the computerized register of drugs prescribed to them by a General Practitioner in a rural Basic Health Area in Huarte-Esteribar, Navarra.

Main measures:

The variables collected were: sociodemographic (sex and age), chronic and HAMC drugs, and glomerular filtration (GF).

Results:

We studied 237 patients, with an average age of 76.3 (SD:7.7). 25% (CI 95%: 20-31) presented altered GF. The average drug intake was 5.4/people, with no significant differences for sex or age. 71% (CI 95%: 65-76) used drugs from the HAMC list, with a significantly higher number in those who had altered GF (2.6 vs 7.5; p < 0.05). The most frequent HAMC Therapeutic Groups were the Benzodiazepines and analogues , followed by Antiplatelets and Loop Diuretics, without significant differences for sex or age.

Conclusions:

The application of the HAMC list in Primary Care allows to identify elderly subjects who use potentially dangerous drugs, according to their clinical characteristics, such as kidney function. The Benzodiazepines, Antiplatelets and Diuretics were the Therapeutics Groups most frequently used among the elderly.

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