Polypharmacy

Polypharmacy

Definition: Polypharmacy is the concurrent use of several drugs. Taking two drugs increases the risk of an adverse drug event by 6%; taking eight drugs increases the risk by 100%.

How Polypharmacy Develops

■ Medications taken for no apparent reason ■ Duplication; different medications taken for same reason ■ Concurrent use of interacting medications ■ Contraindicated medications taken ■ Medications used to treat the side effects of other medications ■ Medications not discontinued after resolution of problem ■ Use of OTC or herbals in conjunction with prescription medications

Assessment and Prevention

■ Have pharmacy and physician regularly review medications. ■ Take complete medication history, including OTC, herbal, and natural supplements. ■ Evaluate all medications for correct dose, duplication, and potential for drug-drug interactions. ■ Look up contraindications and drug-drug interactions of medications. ■ Coordinate care if multiple physicians are caring for Pt. ■ Educate Pt and family about medication use. ■ Encourage Pts to use one pharmacy for all their prescriptions. ■ Help Pts develop a simple medication regimen. ■ Ensure that all pill bottles are easy to read and labeled correctly. ■ Encourage nonpharmacologic treatments whenever possible.