Discussion When multiple prescribers are involved in caring for a patient with several
chronic diseases, the number of medications can quickly accumulate. Family physicians …

Table 1. Causes of polypharmacy. lenging to determine why a patient is on a certain
medication and therefore whether it is safe to discontinue it. In the UK, most prescribing is …

How many medications are optimal for a patient with multiple medical problems?
Prescribing too many increases the likelihood of side effects, drug interactions, and poor …

The use of pharmaceuticals is the most common medical intervention, possessing immense
potential for achieving both positive and negative outcomes (1). While pharmaceuticals …

Medication nonadherence can be intentional when polypharmacy and high pill burden
become overwhelming for patients. At the Bruyère Geriatric Day Hospital (GDH), patients …

Prescribing of medicines is one of the most common and important health care interventions
that will be experienced by most patients, particularly those who are old and have multiple …

There has been immense progress with drug development for the prevention and treatment
of diseases since around 1500 BC, when an ancient Egyptian medical papyrus described …

The prevalence of chronic diseases, for which one or more medicines may be indicated,
increases with age. Polypharmacy is usually defined as the use of five or more drugs …

This often happens when a person has many chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high
blood pressure, heart failure, osteoporosis, and/or symptoms such as pain or insomnia …

84 British Journal of General Practice, February 2011 whether potential benefits are
outweighed by risks and side-effects. Wherever possible, patients' views should be …