Prevalence and epidemiological factors of polypharmacy among patients in Erbil city: a cross sectional study

Background and objective: Polypharmacy, the concurrent use of five or more medications by a patient, is linked to substantial negative outcomes. These include adverse reactions, potentially hazardous drug-drug interactions, mortality, and adherence issues, in addition to cost problems. Finally, the feeling of being overmedicated has been associated with a lower reported quality of life related to health. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of polypharmacy among patients visiting community pharmacy in Erbil city and the association of sociodemographic characteristics with polypharmacy, in addition to measuring the adherence of participants by using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMA-4). Methods: During the period from November 2024 to March 2025, a cross-sectional study was conducted in twelve community pharmacies in Erbil city. A multistage cluster sampling method was used in order to collect data from 800 patients who were diagnosed with at least one chronic condition and used medication for at least three months. Results: Among chronic disease patients, polypharmacy prevalence was 32.5%, and statistical analysis highlighted significant associations between the likelihood of polypharmacy and both the age of the patient and their level of education. However, the same analysis did not reveal a significant connection between a patient's gender and the presence of polypharmacy. Conclusion: A substantial one-third of Erbil community members with chronic illnesses experience polypharmacy. This rate might be an underestimation, as hospital studies, including more complex cases with multiple conditions and acute needs for various medications, usually report higher figures.