Polypharmacy: Just the Figures
Polypharmacy: the whole thing in five minutes, for when you want the numbers and nothing else.
Taking several long-term medicines at once, and the interactions and side effects that accumulate.
Key takeaways
- Structured medication review: available on request from a GP or pharmacist
- Medicines contributing to falls: sedatives, some blood pressure medicines, anticholinergics
- Most useful single change: Ask for a structured medication review at least annually.
- Commonest mistake: Stopping medicines yourself without discussion.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Structured medication review | available on request from a GP or pharmacist |
| Medicines contributing to falls | sedatives, some blood pressure medicines, anticholinergics |
| Anticholinergic burden | associated with confusion and falls |
| Deprescribing | a legitimate and planned part of good care |
In one paragraph
Each additional medicine raises the risk of interactions, falls and confusion, and some become unnecessary without anyone noticing.
Worth doing
- Ask for a structured medication review at least annually
- Keep one up-to-date list of everything you take, including over-the-counter items
- Use one pharmacy so interactions are more likely to be spotted
- Ask what each medicine is for and whether it is still needed
Worth avoiding
- Stopping medicines yourself without discussion
- Adding over-the-counter or herbal products without checking interactions
- Assuming a long-standing prescription is still appropriate
Where to go next
- New to Polypharmacy? Start Here
- Your Questions About Polypharmacy, Answered
- Polypharmacy — the reference entry
- The Evidence on Vaccination in Older Adults, Without the Hype
- The Evidence on Frailty, Without the Hype
When to speak to a doctor
Seek prompt assessment for new confusion, dizziness on standing, unexplained falls, or increasing drowsiness — these are commonly medication-related and reversible. Never stop steroids, beta blockers or anticonvulsants abruptly. Seek urgent help for black stools, vomiting blood, or unusual bruising.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
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