Polypharmacy and its Management

Polypharmacy is most common in the elderly, affecting about 40% of older adults living in their own homes. Polypharmacy means more than three drugs taken concurrently, more than three drugs taking occasion in the day. Polypharmacy is not a diagnosis given to a person by a doctor, but it is a phenomenon that carries as much risk as many other diagnosable disease states. It is important to understand the risk that polypharmacy poses, its causes, and what each person or care giver can do to minimize medication related problems. The fact that the medicines are often prescribed for "different conditions" is irrelevant to the patient's physiology. The idea that "we are doing the best we can," a frequent defense of polypharmacy, does not constitute a scientific argument in favor of it.