Taking prescription medication is a necessary part of life for many of us. Often as we age and our health declines we take more and more prescriptions. Polypharmacy (the simultaneous use of multiple drugs by a single patient) is on the rise. For older adults, the use of prescription medications, and concurrent use of interacting medications, has increased since 2005. But at a certain point, the number of medications a person takes can become burdensome, and possibly dangerous. So, how many medications is too many?

The more medications a person takes, the more likely they are to have adverse side effects or dangerous drug interactions. A study from 2016 says that 15% of older adults are potentially at risk for a major drug-drug interaction. In a previous post we discussed how drugs can work against each other. For instance, as many as 20% of people with high blood pressure are taking prescriptions that actually raise their blood pressure. This is concerning, considering that elevated blood pressure can lead to a variety of negative health outcomes.

Polypharmacy can also be expensive, with some medications costing hundreds of dollars for a single dose. A person taking multiple costly medications could very easily find themselves in medical debt. 

A study published on February 6th of this year suggests “deprescribing”  as a solution to burdensome polypharmacy. The randomized clinical trial had patients get a pharmacist– or nurse practitioner–led comprehensive medication review with the intention of removing medications if possible. The study showed that this deprescribing was a safe and effective strategy for reducing medication burdens. 

As polypharmacy becomes more common, we all have to become more vigilant against the dangers that come with it. In the worst-case scenario, a pharmaceutical error could cause great injury or death.