THE DANGERS OF POLYPHARMACY AND HOW A MEDICATION REVIEW CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE

The aim of medicine (both the practice of medicine and the medication itself), is to help alleviate symptoms and perhaps cure an ailment. But all too often, for a variety of reasons, medicine does the exact opposite. It exacerbates symptoms, creates new ones, and even leads to death.

Polypharmacy is one way that medicine can be detrimental rather than helpful. The definition can be surprisingly broad, but it boils down to multiple (poly) drugs (pharmacy).

The term is most often associated with seniors who take too many medications that are unnecessary and/or harmful when combined. Polypharmacy is a risk factor for the elderly on a global scale.

WHAT IS POLYPHARMACY?

Though it seems pretty straightforward, polypharmacy can be described as:

• the co-prescribing of multiple medications
• the inappropriate use of medication(s)
• using medications without a clinical indication
• visiting multiple providers/pharmacies
• the use of five or more medications

Regardless of how you define it, the use of potentially inappropriate medications can result in medication-related issues like: