DYSPHAGIA IN THE ELDERLY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF ORAL DOSAGE FORMS

Abstract

Dysphagia is defi ned as the diffi culty in swallowing, which aff ects food intake, but also medication, being more prevalent at older ages. To get around this diffi culty, the elderly resort to changing the physical form of the medication, resulting in consequences for themselves and therapy, such as the development of adverse reactions and toxicity. This work sought to identify the main diffi culties in the administration of solid oral dosage forms in individuals over 60 years of age, and their implications for adherence to therapy. An exploratory study was carried out using a questionnaire, applied through an interview, between December 2016 and May 2017. We investigated 102 individuals over 60 years of age. About half of the interviewees have diffi culties in swallowing drugs with solid oral pharmaceutical form, with size being the characteristic that most aff ects this diffi culty, often leading to changes in the physical form of the medication and having implications for adherence to therapy.