Polypharmacy

Polypharmacy is defined as the simultaneous use of multiple drugs to treat a single ailment or condition, or the simultaneous use of multiple drugs by a single patient, for one or more conditions. It's a diagnosis that sometimes appears on medical charts of patients suffering reactions to the numerous drugs they have been placed on. Polypharmacy has become an increasing problem. It ranks with many common diseases as a cause of hospital admissions and it is a contributing factor to spiraling medical costs.

Older people are especially likely to be on medication for more than one complaint.

1. Proliferation of consumer products
2. Chronic illness

1. Medication side effects
2. Environmental hazards of pharmaceutical products

1. Use of medical drugs for non medical purposes
2. Overprescription of drugs
3. Non-responsiveness of transnational corporations to pharmaceutical needs
4. Misleading endorsement advertising
5. Inadequate drug classification
6. Illicit trade in prescribed drugs
7. Ignorance of drug users
8. Exploitation of patient obsession
9. Excessive influence of pharmaceutical manufacturers over doctors
10. Confusion among drugs with similar names

1. How polypharmacy has become a medical burden worldwide
2. Polypharmacy
3. What is polypharmacy? A systematic review of definitions
4. Polypharmacy: Evaluating Risks and Deprescribing
5. Polypharmacy