Polypharmacy

The use of multiple drugs administered to the same patient, most commonly seen in elderly patients. It includes also the administration of excessive medication. Since in the United States most drugs are dispensed as single-agent formulations, polypharmacy, though using many drugs administered to the same patient, must be differentiated from DRUG COMBINATIONS, single preparations containing two or more drugs as a fixed dose, and from DRUG THERAPY, COMBINATION, two or more drugs administered separately for a combined effect. (From Segen, Dictionary of Modern Medicine, 1992)

Networked: 1266 relevant articles (36 outcomes, 118 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Therapy Context: Research Results

Experts

1.	Uchida, Hiroyuki: 11 articles (07/2014 - 11/2003)
2.	Correll, Christoph U: 10 articles (10/2015 - 01/2008)
3.	Suzuki, Takefumi: 10 articles (01/2013 - 11/2003)
4.	Watanabe, Koichiro: 9 articles (10/2013 - 11/2003)
5.	Kashima, Haruo: 8 articles (01/2011 - 11/2003)
6.	Evans, David C: 7 articles (11/2015 - 07/2011)
7.	Yagi, Gohei: 7 articles (12/2009 - 11/2003)
8.	Corsonello, Andrea: 6 articles (01/2015 - 03/2005)
9.	Hanlon, Joseph T: 6 articles (10/2014 - 12/2003)
10.	Marengoni, Alessandra: 5 articles (11/2015 - 05/2011)

Related Diseases

1.	Heart Failure 04/10/2008 - "We need clinical trial data that show definite improvement in outcomes as well as a clear-cut, favourable benefit-risk analysis involving beta-blockers in typical older heart failure patients irrespective of comorbidity and polypharmacy. " 09/01/2002 - "The management of chronic heart failure patients is complicated by the presence of multiple comorbid conditions, polypharmacy, psychosocial concerns and difficulties with adherence to complex medication, dietary regimen, smoking cessation and correct physical activity. " 01/01/2002 - "The management of chronic heart failure in elderly patients is often complicated by the presence of multiple comorbid conditions, polypharmacy, psychosocial and financial concerns, and difficulties with adherence to complex medication and dietary regimens. " 11/01/2001 - "In the management of chronic heart failure, polypharmacy is common, necessary, and often overlooked. " 03/01/2004 - "This study evaluates polypharmacy in a relatively unselected community heart failure population following emergency admission and determines the impact of an in-hospital, specialist heart failure care programme on appropriate pharmacotherapy, polypharmacy and drug interactions. "
2.	Seizures (Seizure) 01/01/1992 - "The remainder often receive polypharmacy, and current evidence suggests that perhaps only around 10% of these benefit significantly in terms of improved seizure control. " 01/01/1979 - "Reduction in polypharmacy in chronic patients is more difficult, but in many can be achieved with reduction in toxicity, and sometimes improved seizure control. " 03/01/1995 - "The goal of rational polypharmacy is to produce improved seizure control with minimal or no adverse effects." 01/01/1984 - "Reduction in polypharmacy resulted in an improvement in seizure control in 54% of patients. " 04/01/2014 - "Longer duration of seizures, increased frequency of seizures, recent recurrence of seizures, anticonvulsant polypharmacy, poor compliance with medications, and family history of seizures were associated with increased psychiatric comorbidity. "
3.	Schizophrenia (Dementia Praecox) 03/01/1981 - "The adoption of LANs in the United Kingdom over the past 13 years is in the author's opinion the most important single improvement in the treatment of schizophrenia; but in the absence of any clear indication that LANs can be discontinued after even 4 years, the emphasis must remain on their proper use: personalised prescriptions (dose reduced with time down to the lowest possible dosage) and caution against unnecessary polypharmacy." 10/01/2015 - "Although evidence for efficacy of antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) is sparse, APP is common in schizophrenia. " 03/01/2015 - "The limited efficacy of APs beyond psychosis argues against a magic bullet approach to schizophrenia and for polypharmacy that is symptom domain-specific. " 11/01/2008 - "Other areas that may merit future research are efficacy of SGA polypharmacy for schizophrenia accompanied by comorbid conditions (eg, anxiety, suicidal or self-injurious behavior, aggression) and for reducing length of stay in acute care settings." 10/01/2015 - "Frequency and correlates of antipsychotic polypharmacy among patients with schizophrenia in Denmark: A nation-wide pharmacoepidemiological study."
4.	Drug Toxicity (Drug Safety) 09/01/1998 - "Geriatric patients exhibit a decline in the hepatic clearance of certain drugs and a marked increase in the frequency of adverse drug reactions, reflecting an increase in polypharmacy regimens and declines in liver volume and blood flow rather than reduced Phase I metabolism. " 07/31/2012 - "The combination of ART with polypharmacy significantly increases the chance of potentially serious drug-drug interactions (DDIs), which can lead to drug toxicity, poorer ART adherence, loss of efficacy of the coadministered medication, or virologic breakthrough. " 07/01/2004 - "While the intervention did not reduce hospitalisation episodes and only led to a modest improvement in quality of life, the development of a mutually acceptable form of face-to-face pharmacist/GP medication review, identification of potentially serious adverse drug reactions, identification of previously unreported complementary medicine use, and enhanced GP awareness of the risks of polypharmacy were positive outcomes of the study." 01/01/2015 - "The use of model organisms will remain central to the quest for drug discovery, but as we uncover molecular processes regulated by repurposed drugs and polypharmacy, studies of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, drug-drug interactions, drug toxicity, and therapeutic index will slowly become more prevalent in aging research. " 12/01/2014 - "Of the 50 studies identified, the majority that were rated good in terms of their adjustment for comorbidity demonstrated relationships between polypharmacy and a range of outcomes, including falls, fall outcomes, fall risk factors, adverse drug events, hospitalization, mortality, and measures of function and cognition. "
5.	Epilepsy (Aura) 06/01/1983 - "Reduction of polypharmacy may be beneficial for patients with intractable epilepsy." 09/01/1988 - "A multifaceted study on childhood refractory epilepsy disclosed an insufficient classification of epilepsies and epileptic seizures, and inappropriate polypharmacy as the most important factors preventing appropriate therapy. " 07/16/2014 - "Epilepsy gives rise to an overall deterioration in the HRQL of children, specifically in the cognitive and emotional spheres, which is related with the chronological progression of the disease and polypharmacy. " 01/01/2011 - "Through the same view, we further demonstrate the potentiation effect of rational polypharmacy in the treatment of epilepsy and provide a new angle to resolve the debate on polypharmacy. " 05/01/2009 - "Treating and managing epilepsy in the elderly may be complicated by confounding factors, including comorbidities and polypharmacy. "

Related Drugs and Biologics

1.	Clozapine (Clozaril)
2.	Anticonvulsants (Antiepileptic Drugs)
3.	carvedilol (Coreg)
4.	Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
5.	Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACE Inhibitors)
6.	Cytochromes
7.	Xylitol
8.	Sotalol (Sotalol Hydrochloride)
9.	Betaine (C.B.B.)
10.	olive oil

Related Therapies and Procedures

1.	Complementary Therapies (Alternative Medicine)
2.	Therapeutics
3.	Length of Stay
4.	Drug Therapy (Chemotherapy)
5.	Inappropriate Prescribing