Polypharmacy

Polypharmacy is the use of multiple medications by a patient, especially when too many forms of medication are used by a patient, when more drugs are prescribed than is clinically warranted, or even when all prescribed medications are clinically indicated but there are too many pills to take (pill burden). Furthermore, a portion of the treatments may not be evidence-based. The most common results of polypharmacy are increased adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions and higher costs. Polypharmacy is most common in the elderly but is also widespread in the general population.