POLYPHARMACY LEADING TO MAJOR DRUG INTERACTION IN THE ELDERLY PATIENTS

Abstract

1 INTRODUCTION The consequent utilization of several drugs is defined as polypharmacy. The term polypharmacy are commonly defined as the subsequent consumption of five or more than five drugs (Meaddough and et al., 2021). Polypharmacy results into intensified risk of issues associated with the drugs. Aging-related physiological changes (such as decreased renal excretion, decreased hepatic function, decreased total body water, decreased lean body mass, and diminished vision and hearing), the prevalence of medical co-morbidities, barriers to effective communication, and multiple prescribers are the main causes of it. In addition, polypharmacy raises healthcare expenditures and puts patients at higher risk for adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions (DDIs), medication non-adherence, reduced functional ability, and a variety of geriatric syndromes (Moon and et.al., 2019).