Polypharmacy

Older patients with polypharmacy may benefit financially when unnecessary medicines are reduced. 81% of the hospitalised cohort had polypharmacy and 38% had hyperpolypharmacy. The polypharmacy rate in this cohort was substantially higher than prior hospital estimates of 42% to 52%. The definite DRPU group had higher medication burden and more active medication management than the other groups. The finding that fewer than three daily medications predicted passive participation contrasts with prior literature on polypharmacy as a risk factor for confusion and non-adherence. Medication burden in the definite group did not simply reflect greater diagnostic complexity. Polypharmacy means using multiple prescription medications at the same time. The study described polypharmacy as chronic daily use of five or more medications. Polypharmacy was defined as concurrent use of five or more medications. Older people with sensory impairment are prescribed an average of 11 medications, making polypharmacy the norm. Assisted living residents in a 100-person sample averaged 48 prescribed medications, with one resident having 91, far exceeding any safe or manageable level. No clinical trials exist…