The term polypharmacy refers to the group of medications one person may be taking. It comes from two Greek root words: poly, meaning many, and pharmakeia meaning medicines or drugs. It is generally used when that one person is taking too many medications, or when the drugs have been prescribed by many doctors, and may not have been coordinated well.
Usually a problem for older adults who may have comorbidities, polypharmacy may cause problematic side effects. Also, it's possible that new symptoms will occur based on one drug, and be treated by taking another drug instead of exploring the root cause for the symptoms - the original drug. Over time patients may be prescribed many drugs that just compound problematic symptoms, masking the roots of their original medical problem.
