Polypharmacy is the concurrent use of multiple medications. While there are almost always good intentions behind this—treating several chronic conditions at the same time, for example—it can cause side effects and even additional health concerns. Seniors, who are more likely to take many different prescriptions, are at the highest risk of adverse effects from polypharmacy. While you should never stop taking a medication because of this without your healthcare provider's OK, you can play an active role in ensuring that you reduce any possible risks. Show EffectsThe advice to tell any healthcare provider you see all of the medications and supplements you are taking, prescription or over the counter, is critical. While a drug may be recommended to you because of a specific intended purpose, drugs do not act in isolation in your system. As such, everything you are taking must be considered when making treatment choices. Polypharmacy poses several concerns:
Why It OccursPolypharmacy is very common. Often, seniors or people with many health problems need to take several medications to control multiple medical conditions. While these medications, individually, may be warranted, there are times when the number of drugs prescribed for a given issue is more than is necessary. There are a variety of other reasons polypharmacy can occur as well, including:
PreventionPolypharmacy can be managed as a team effort between healthcare providers, patients, and families. What you can do (or help a loved one with):
Healthcare systems are continuously looking for ways to play their part. Systemic solutions include:
A Word From VerywellAnyone can become confused and overwhelmed by medical terminology and instructions, especially when taking several medications for many health problems. If that's the case for you, keep a trusted family member or friend in the loop regarding your health care. You might even ask this person to attend healthcare provider's appointments with you, so you can have a second set of ears for important information that may be shared—and a backup mind to help you remember things you should mention as well. Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. By Mark Stibich, PhD Thanks for your feedback! What is the use of multiple medications at the same time called?The use of multiple medicines, commonly referred to as polypharmacy is common in the older population with multimorbidity, as one or more medicines may be used to treat each condition.
What are the effects of taking multiple medications?The more medications you are taking, the higher the risk of those drugs interacting dangerously with each other. Multiple medications can cause confusion, lightheadedness and even internal bleeding — all dangerous and injurious conditions.
What is it called when two medications conflict?Drug-drug interactions occur when two or more drugs react with each other. This drug-drug interaction may cause you to experience an unexpected side effect.
How does taking multiple medications affect adherence to medications?Polypharmacy can lead to medication nonadherence simply because of the greater number of medications that can be missed on a daily basis, yet polypharmacy can also lead to nonadherence through other mechanisms.
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