Cases of medicine-related harm leading to hospital admission rising: Study

Jul 09, 2022

New Delhi, July 09 (ANI): Researchers have identified an increasing trend in medicine-related harm leading to hospital admission. The trend is connected to a rising tide of multiple long-term health conditions (called multimorbidity) associated with the use of many medicines simultaneously (called polypharmacy). Polypharmacy is usually defined as taking five or more regular medicines. The researchers identified that those who suffered an ADR were on average taking more medicines and had more comorbid conditions than those without an ADR. Polypharmacy can become burdensome for patients, particularly when it occurs in the context of overprescribing, that is, where people are given medicines they don't need or want, or which may do them harm. Overprescribing has grown dramatically over the last 25 years. This was highlighted in a recent NHS report on overprescribing which stated that 10 per cent of prescriptions (approximately 110 million) should not have been issued.