Plypharmacy and drug interactions

Czech version

Authors: J. Suchopár; M. Prokeš
Authors‘ workplace: Infopharm, a. s., Praha, předseda představenstva PharmDr. Josef Suchopár
Published in: Vnitř Lék 2011; 57(9): 755-759
Category: 65th birthday Mudr. Jany Laciné and and 60th birthday Milana Tržila

Overview

The growing consumption of drugs and other numerous factors relates to the increasing incidence of polypharmacy. The proportion of patients currently treated with 5 or more medicines at the elderly population in particular is 30–60% of patients. Repeatedly has been proven the dependence between the number of concomitant drugs and occurrence of adverse effects, patients requiring hospitalization, or incidence of moderate and serious drug interactions. Some works show that it is possible to satisfactorily address the issues of polypharmacy, but it requires great courage and an interdisciplinary approach involving modern information technology.

Key words:
drug consumption – polypharmacy – drug interactions

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