Polypharmacy: Definitions, Measurement and Stakes Involved Review of the Literature and Measurement Tests

Polypharmacy, defined by the World Health Organisation as "the administration of many drugs at the same time or the administration of an excessive number of drugs" is frequent among the elderly as they often suffer from chronic diseases with concomitant pathologies. If polypharmacy is legitimate in some cases, it can also be inappropriate and in all cases carries the risk of adverse effects or drug interactions. In an ageing society such as ours, polypharmacy is a major public health issue in terms of quality and efficiency of care and health expenditures. It is thus essential to examine the definitions and measurement of polypharmacy.