Risk Factors
Seniors are at a particularly high risk of polypharmacy for several reasons.
Increased Life Expectancy
When individuals live longer, there is a consequent increase in the prevalence of multiple co-morbidities or disease states that may each require treatment with prescription drug therapy.
The Shift to Specialists
As individuals age, they typically develop multiple co-morbidities/disease states and see various providers such as a cardiologist for a heart condition, a pulmonologist for lung disease, an endocrinologist for diabetes or thyroid disease, and so on. Prescribers often prescribe with only one disease state in mind so having a specialist for every condition expands the potential number of medications that may be prescribed.
Pharmaceutical Advances Research and development have armed prescribers with additional drugs in their toolbox. Often, these innovative therapies are used concomitantly or as an “add on” to current therapy. Even when used appropriately, every drug has the potential for side effects that often lead to the addition of drugs to treat them.
The Media
Access to social media and television advertising that encourage older adults and/or their caregivers to ask their providers for prescription medications to treat multiple conditions, such as insomnia or osteoporosis, or that market OTC supplements to older adults to “enhance brain function,” for example.
Multiple Pharmacies
Using more than one pharmacy creates multiple fragmented dispensing records, prevents a comprehensive review by the dispensing pharmacist, and makes it difficult to identify and/or eliminate duplicate therapies.
Adverse drug events cause up to 30% of all geriatric hospital admissions.*
*Morin L, Calderon Larrañaga A, Welmer AK, Rizzuto D, Wastesson JW, Johnell K. Polypharmacy and injurious falls in older adults: a nationwide nested case-controlstudy. Clin Epidemiol. 2019;11:483-493. Published 2019 Jun 24. doi:10.2147/CLEP.S201614