Abstract

The effects of polypharmacy on geriatric populations are an emerging concern that merits more exploration. The primary goal of this review was to evaluate the current body of knowledge on polypharmacy and explore the preventive and corrective measures to avoid negative outcomes. Even if a medication has an appropriate indication, polypharmacy in the geriatric population is associated with an increased risk of drug-drug or drug-condition interactions. Recent efforts to prevent polypharmacy include the development of interprofessional teams in clinics dedicated to medication review and reconciliation, deprescription plans aimed to safely discontinue potentially inappropriate medications, and inpatient screening tools that provide prescribing recommendations. In conclusion, polypharmacy affects a high percentage of the geriatric population. Current efforts to address and prevent polypharmacy are ongoing but have not been widely adopted.

Faculty credentials/disclosure 

Dr. Jain is an internal medicine resident at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Dr. Singh isan internal medicine resident at Saint Vincent Hospital, Worcester, Massachusetts. Dr. Kaul is chief of the Division of Pulmonary Medicine and attending physician in critical care medicine at Crouse Health. He is also associate program director of the pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship and assistant professor of medicine at Upstate Medical University. Dr. Gambhir is vice chair for quality improvement and patient safety, Department of Medicine; associate program director, Internal Medicine Residency Program; and associate professor and hospitalist, SUNY Upstate Medical University. The authors and planner for this educational activity have no relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care products used by or on patients.

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Expiration date

Credit eligibility for this article is set to expire on July 1, 2024.