When a patient takes five or more medications daily, the risk of adverse drug re...
Polypharmacy — defined as the concurrent use of five or more medications — is extremely common in older adults, who frequently have multiple chronic conditions each requiring pharmacological management. While each individual medication may be clinically appropriate, the combination can create a cascade of adverse effects, drug–drug interactions and physiological burdens that reduce quality of life and increase hospitalisation risk.
The healthcare professionals most likely to identify and flag polypharmacy-related problems are nurses and caregivers who see patients daily. Warning signs include unexplained falls or cognitive changes, new or worsening symptoms that could be drug side effects, and patients who are visibly overwhelmed or confused by their medication schedule.
Mehermedics training equips nurses with the tools to conduct structured medication reviews using frameworks such as the STOPP/START criteria, to liaise constructively with prescribers about deprescribing opportunities, and to support patients in understanding why some medications may be safely discontinued. Our partnerships with pharmacist networks in the USA and Canada ensure multidisciplinary medication review is accessible to patients in home care settings.
