Polypharmacy is when a patient uses several medications from several classes of medications than is clinically warranted. These drugs can be over-the-counter and prescribed by a physician. Patients who have more than one doctor and use more than one pharmacy are at risk of overusing multiple drugs.
Additionally, individuals who "take matters in their own hands", take a mixture of over-the-counter medications that are not FDA approved for the claims the drug manufacturers are making. The dangers of polypharmacy are drug to drug adverse reaction and you may be creating a health issue that wasn't there prior to use of all these drugs.
If you are seeing multiple physicians write down a list of your current medications and bring this list with you to all doctor appointments so he may be informed as to what you are taking. If you want to self-prescribe, notify the person who has medical training and has earned the credentials MD or DO after his name as to the cocktail of over-the-counter medications you are thinking about taking for whichever ailment you self-diagnosed.
Be drug responsible. Here is something for you to ponder: Medicine is the art of entertainment while nature takes its course.
Good health,
Trisha M. Pacenti RN, BSN
www.nurseinsagent.com
