Testing complex interventions for polypharmacy in real-world conditions

Polypharmacy, commonly defined as the use of at least five medications, affects approximately 37% of adults.1,2 Although polypharmacy can be considered appropriate in some scenarios to manage multiple co-occurring chronic conditions, polypharmacy is also associated with risks, such as inappropriate prescribing, impairment in cognition and function, frailty, falls, hospitalisations, and mortality.3–6 Health-care professionals and researchers have developed a wide variety of interventions to reduce risks from polypharmacy.