12.13.2017

Physician Factors Associated with Polypharmacy

Polypharmacy, defined as the use of more drugs than are clinically indicated, or the use of more than a certain number of drugs (i.e., > 5) complicates the care of elderly patients. A study in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine reports findings from a survey of 61 family medicine clinic physicians, along with medication profile reviews of their patients ≥65 years of age, to explore factors related to their prescribing behavior. After controlling for patient race and age, physicians who ranked the number of medications and benefit/risk information regarding deprescribing as more important than their peers prescribed fewer medications and potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs).

Link to J Am Board Fam Med article via Medscape (11/2017) (open access with site registration)