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Table 4 Descriptive definitions of polypharmacy and associated terms

From: What is polypharmacy? A systematic review of definitions

Term

Definition

Number of studies

References

Polypharmacy

Patients visiting multiple pharmacies to obtain medications

1

[112]

 

Coprescribing multiple medications

1

[113]

 

Simultaneous and long term use of different drugs by the same individual

1

[77]

 

Polypharmacy definition ranges from the use of a large number of medications, to the use of potentially inappropriate medications, medication underuse and medication duplication

1

[114]

 

Potentially inappropriate medications

2

[10, 79]

 

Use of multiple medications concurrently and the use of additional medications to correct adverse effects

1

[115]

 

Use of medications which are not clinically indicated

1

[116]

 

More drugs being prescribed or taken than are clinically appropriate in the context of a patient’s comorbidities

1

[12]

Appropriate polypharmacy

Optimisation of medications for patients with complex and/or multiple conditions where medicine usage agrees with best evidence

1

[117]

Rational polypharmacy and indiscriminate prescribing

Rational polypharmacy recognizes legitimate prescribing and indiscriminate prescribing suggests inappropriate prescribing (the terms “legitimate prescribing” and “inappropriate prescribing” were not explained)

1

[118]

Pseudopolypharmacy

Patients being recorded as taking more medications than they are actually taking

1

[119]