Verificação da utilização por idosos de antidepressivos dispensados em drogaria do município de Cachoeira do Sul - RS.

Abstract

Depression is a disease that represents a public health problem, which does not yet have a definite cause. Its appearance is linked to several situations, some of which are biological, however, mostly due to causes of environmental pressures associated with increased stress in the daily lives of the population, especially those living in large cities, and it is not surprising this number is increasing. This malady affects, in particular, the elderly population, leading to serious physical and emotional disorders, among them deep sadness, loneliness, phobias and even suicide. Pharmacological treatment becomes a very important tool. Therefore, the use of antidepressants is the best alternative, minimizing the risks to patients' health, however, it must be carried out in a correct and rational way, following the appropriate and specific indications of each class and specificities. This study aimed to evaluate the profile of the elderly users of antidepressants, who purchased the drug, by medical prescription, in a drugstore located in the city of Cachoeira do Sul - RS, from the application of a questionnaire containing open and closed questions to respect of the use of the medicinal product. The research was carried out with 50 elderly patients who used antidepressants, the majority of them being women (68%); the age range of those who use the most was between 60 and 65 years old (44%); the married civil status accounted for 58% of the patients interviewed. In relation to schooling, 19 (38%) reported having attended elementary school. Retirees accounted for 64% of respondents. The main complaint related to the cause of antidepressant use by the elderly was anxiety (32%) and as an adverse effect, somnolence (28%), followed by headaches (20%). Still, 84% of them did not have knowledge about the antidepressant used and 98% did not know the drug interactions resulting from the use of the drug. The most commonly used drug was fluoxetine, with 24% of participants, an antidepressant that is on the list of drugs unfit for the elderly, according to Beers Criteria. The use of antidepressants belonging to the class of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) corresponded to 72% of the elderly. This research evidenced several intercurrences related to the use of antidepressants by the elderly, as much by the ignorance on the part of the same ones as the adverse reactions and drug interactions, as for the continuous use of drugs inappropriate to this age group. From these results, it is evident the need to observe the criteria for the use of antidepressants by the elderly, as well as the imminent importance of the drug-therapeutic follow-up of these patients, in order to minimize the short- and long-term consequences of use or misuse of antidepressant medications.