Is polypharmacy an everyday occurrence for older adults with multiple diseases?

The aim of this study was to determine the severity of polypharmacy (concurrent use of multiple prescriptions and/or over-the-counter medications) among people aged 60–89 years with multimorbidity. The study sample included 341 older people aged 60–89 years. Information was collected using the authors’ survey questionnaire concerning health status and use of medications and/or supplements. These medications were then grouped into over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs. Among participants, 86.2% used medications prescribed by a doctor, while 59.8% reported the use of OTC drugs. Only 11% did not take any drugs. In contrast, 19% used more than five drugs (range 5–9). The most commonly used OTC drugs were vitamins A, B, C, and D (44%), liver support drugs (18%), and cardiovascular support drugs (16%). Multimorbidity was a health challenge for three quarters of the respondents, while polypharmacy was found for one fifth. Therefore, being chronically ill is not necessarily correlated with taking medication.