Control Poly-pharmacy

Hanan Elzeblawy Hassan is a professor of Maternity & Newborn Health Nursing, Beni-Suef University, Vice dean for community services, Mentor at Publons Academy, International Certified Associate Trainer in international board of certified trainers (IBCT). She was Vice dean for post graduate studies & research, Head of Maternity & Newborn Department.

The phenomenon of over-medication is increasing in the elderly category, and the side effects associated with these drugs are exacerbated by it. Medicinal over-medication is considered a syndrome of aging and with the development of modern medicine and the rapid increase in the number of elderly, the phenomenon of over-medication has become a concern of health care providers for the elderly, such as doctors, pharmacists, institutes, and medical institutions, for the consequences there of side effects, increased rates of falls, and non-compliance with the drug regimen.Polypharmacy is generally quantified as the use of several medicines, such as prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, complementary and alternative medicine products, and vitamins. The number of medications usually used to define polypharmacy has been a source of contention and is constantly growing. Five or more daily medicines are generally regarded as high polypharmacy, while ten or more medications are considered extreme polypharmacy.