Polypharmacy

The term polypharmacy generally refers to the use of multiple medications by a patient. The term is used when too many forms of medication are used by a patient, more drugs are prescribed than clinically warranted,Fulton MM, Allen ER. Polypharmacy in the elderly: a literature review. "J Am Acad Nurse Pract" 2005;17:123-32. PMID 15819637.] or even when all prescribed medications are clinically indicated but there are too many pills to take (pill burden). Furthermore, a portion of the treatments may not be evidence-based. The common result of polypharmacy is increased adverse drug reactions and higher costs. Polypharmacy is most common in the elderly.cite journal |author=Haider SI, Johnell K, Thorslund M, Fastbom J |title=Trends in polypharmacy and potential drug-drug interactions across educational groups in elderly patients in Sweden for the period 1992 - 2002 |journal=International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics |volume=45 |issue=12 |pages=643–653 |year=2007 |pmid=18184532 ]

Pill burden

Pill burden is a term that refers to the number of tablets, capsules or other dosage forms that a patient takes on a regular schedule.

Higher pill burden decreases compliance with drug therapy, due to the need to take a large quantity of pills on a regular basis. It also increases the possibility of adverse medication reactions ("side effects") and drug-drug interactions due to polypharmacy. High pill burden has also been associated with increased risk of hospitalization, medication errors, and increased costs both for the pharmaceuticals involved and for the treatment of adverse events. Finally, it is source of dissatisfaction to many patients.

High pill burden is commonly associated with antiretroviral drug regimens to control HIV, but can be seen in other patient populations. For instance, an adult with multiple chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, osteoporosis, constipation and clinical depression can often be prescribed more than a dozen different medications daily. Obesity is implicated in many of the aforementioned conditions, and it is not uncommon for a clinically obese patient to receive pharmacologic treatment for all of these. Because chronic conditions tend to accumulate in the elderly, pill burden is a particular issue in geriatrics.

Reducing pill burden is recognized as a way to improve medication compliance. Common approaches to reducing pill burden may include selecting fixed dose combination drug products, products with long-acting active ingredients, and sustained release/extended release formulations when appropriate.

Some combinations of drugs may be available in certain strengths as a single pill, called a fixed dose combination. One notable example of a fixed dose combination drug product is the antiretroviral drug product Atripla, which combines 3 drugs (efavirenz + emtricitabine + tenofovir) into one pill.

The selection of long-acting active ingredients over short-acting ones may also reduce pill burden. For instance, ACE inhibitors are used in the management of hypertension. Both captopril and lisinopril are examples of ACE inhibitors. However, lisinopril is dosed once a day, whereas captopril may be dosed 2-3 times a day. Assuming that there are no contraindications or potential for drug interactions, using lisinopril instead of captopril may be an appropriate way to limit pill burden.

Similarly, sustained release/extended release drug formulations reduce pill burden by reducing the dosing frequency. The same active ingredient is present in both the immediate-release form and the sustained release form.

At risk demographic groups

Patients at greatest risk of polypharmacy consequences include the elderly, psychiatric patients, patients taking five or more drugs concurrently, those with multiple physicians and pharmacies, recently hospitalized patients, individuals with concurrent comorbiditiescite journal |author=Boyd CM, Darer J, Boult C, Fried LP, Boult L, Wu AW |title=Clinical practice guidelines and quality of care for older patients with multiple comorbid diseases: implications for pay for performance |journal=JAMA |volume=294 |issue=6 |pages=716–24 |year=2005 |pmid=16091574 |doi=10.1001/jama.294.6.716] , low educational level cite journal |author=Haider SI, Johnell K, Thorslund M, Fastbom J |title= Analysis of the association between polypharmacy and socioeconomic position among elderly aged >/=77 years in Sweden |journal= Clin Ther |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=419–27 |year=2007 |pmid=18343279 ] , and those with impaired vision or dexterity.

Adverse reactions and interactions

Every medication has potential adverse side-effects. With every drug added, there is an additive risk of side-effects.

Many medications have potential interactions with other substances. As a new drug is prescribed, the risk of interactions increases exponentially. Doctors and pharmacists aim to avoid prescribing medications that interact; often, adjustments in the dose of medications need to be made to avoid interactions, such as with warfarin, as it may lose its effect.

Thoughtful versus thoughtless polypharmacy

A patient with a complex or even an ostensibly straight forward illness whose personal pharmacopoeia reads like a drug store pharmacy is not necessarily receiving poor treatment. A carefully followed patient with whom a physician is using additive drug choice and dosage range on a trial and error basis may lead to a treatment program that, for a real example, includes two antidepressants, three antihypertensives, a beta blocker, a calcium channel blocker, a bone saving bisphosphonate, an antiepileptic, a stomach saving H2 blocker, aspirin, prostaglandin blocker, lactoferrin, a calcium-magnesium supplement and herbal preparations.Fact|date=October 2008

Two generally true circumstances underlie the theory of thoughtful, therapeutic polypharmacy: (1) Drugs given for a single somatic locale act on biochemical mechanisms present throughout the body such that their nonlinear interactions can produce an (unknown except empirically) global physiological state of health; [Mandell, A.J. and Selz, K.A. 1992 Dynamical systems in psychiatry: Now what? "Biological Psychiatry" 32: 299-301.] (2) The more independent variables, "handles", to manipulate, the greater the likelihood of finding and stabilizing a small available parametric space of healthy function while minimizing unwanted effects. [Callahan, J. and Sashin, J. I. 1987 Models of affect-response and anorexia nervosa. "Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci." 504:241-259.]

olutions

Zarowitz "et al"Zarowitz BJ, Stebelsky LA, Muma BK, Romain TM, Peterson EL. Reduction of high-risk polypharmacy drug combinations in patients in a managed care setting. "Pharmacotherapy" 2005;25:1636-45. PMID 16232025.] studied clinical pharmacists performing drug therapy reviews and the teaching of physicians and their patients about drug safety and polypharmacy, as well as collaborating with physicians and patients to correct polypharmacy problems. This led to a marked improvement in interactions and cost. Similar programs are likely to reduce the potentially deleterious consequences of polypharmacy. Such programs hinge upon patients and doctors informing pharmacists of other medications being prescribed, as well as herbal, over-the-counter substances and supplements that occasionally interfere with prescription-only medication.

ee also

* Adverse effect (medicine)
* Compliance (medicine)

References

External links

* [http://www.ana.org/readroom/position/drug/drpoly.htm ANA.org] - 'American Nurses Association Position Statement on Polypharmacy and the Older Adult'
* [http://www.nasmhpd.org/general_files/publications/med_directors_pubs/Polypharmacy.PDF NASMHPD.org (pdf)] - 'Technical Report on Psychiatric Polypharmacy' National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, (October 9, 2001)
* [http://psychrights.org/Articles/PAICAonPolypharmacy.htm PsychRights.org] - 'Psychiatric Polypharmacy: A Word of Caution', Leslie Morrison, MS, RN, Esq, Paul B. Duryea, Charis Moore, Alexandra Nathanson-Shinn, Stephen E. Hall, MD, James Meeker, PhD, DABFT, Charles A. Reynolds, PharmD, BCPP, Protection & Advocacy, Inc.
* [http://prescriptions.bsd.uchicago.edu/Polypharmacy/index.html] - 'Polypharmacy in Older Adults: Information for people who are taking several medications', University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine