The Amplifying Danger of Polypharmacy
The greatest risk often arises not from one medication, but from taking several simultaneously—typically defined as five or more drugs. This « polypharmacy crisis » is common in older adult care and creates a perfect storm of complications:
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The Prescribing Cascade: This occurs when a new drug is prescribed to treat the side effect of an existing one, rather than re-evaluating the original prescription, leading to a spiraling number of medications.
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Fragmented Healthcare: When multiple specialists prescribe without a central overview, the cumulative burden and interaction risks can go unnoticed.
The consequences are severe. Adverse drug reactions are a leading cause of hospitalizations, and the cognitive symptoms they induce are often mistaken for irreversible dementia.
