Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 30, 2025
05:10
Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
416
An Atypical Case of Extreme Polypharmacy
1Social and Administrative Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Outcomes, The University of Texas at Tyler, Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy, Tyler, TX, 75799, USA.
Drug, Healthcare and Patient Safety
|March 18, 2022
Summary
This case report details an extreme instance of polypharmacy, where a patient used 146 medications. It highlights how multiple comorbidities can drive excessive medication use and potential adverse drug events.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Geriatrics
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Polypharmacy, often defined as using 5 or more medications daily, is a growing concern in healthcare.
- Existing definitions of polypharmacy vary, ranging from 2 to 11 or more medications.
- Managing patients with multiple comorbidities often leads to complex medication regimens.
Observation:
- A case report of a 48-year-old female with multiple comorbidities is presented.
- The patient experienced a serious adverse drug event (ADE), necessitating reporting to MedWatch.
- This patient was prescribed an extreme number of 146 drug entities across 82 therapeutic categories.
Findings:
- Multiple comorbidities were identified as the primary driver of polypharmacy in this case.
- Treatment strategies focused on addressing each comorbidity with specific drug therapies.
- The patient's extensive medication list underscores the complexity of managing chronic conditions.
Implications:
- This case illustrates the insidious nature of polypharmacy and its potential for harm.
- It raises critical questions regarding the appropriate escalation and limitations of multiple medication use.
- Healthcare providers must carefully consider the risks and benefits of polypharmacy, especially in patients with complex health profiles.
Keywords:
MedWatchadverse drug eventcomorbidityfood and drug administrationmultiple medicationspolypharmacyMore Related Videos
10:17High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry
Published on: April 23, 2019
9.8K
06:59A Novel Approach for the Administration of Medications and Fluids in Emergency Scenarios and Settings
Published on: November 9, 2016
30.7K
Related Concept Videos
01:28Drug Therapy
108
The advent of drug therapy has profoundly shaped modern mental health care, providing targeted treatments for a range of psychological disorders. Psychotherapeutic drugs, classified into antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medications, address symptoms across anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. While these medications have transformed patient outcomes, they require careful management due to their potential side effects and limitations.
Antianxiety Medications
Antianxiety Medications
108
01:23Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Dependence of Elimination Half-Life and Dose Clearance
326
The elimination half-life and drug clearance of drugs following nonlinear kinetics can vary with dosage. The Michaelis-Menten parameters and drug concentration influence these factors. As the dose increases, the elimination half-life tends to lengthen, resulting in a reduction in clearance and a disproportionately larger area under the curve. The total clearance can be derived from the Michaelis-Menten equation for drugs following a one-compartment model.
A study on guinea pigs examined the...
A study on guinea pigs examined the...
326
01:26Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
226
Antipsychotic drugs are a crucial treatment method for acute and chronic psychoses, bipolar illness, and behavioral disorders. The selection of these drugs depends on several factors, including the state of the disease, clinical judgment, possible drug interactions, and the patient's sensitivity to adverse effects. In immediate scenarios, such as delirium and dementia, short-term treatment with low doses of high-potency typical or atypical agents can effectively manage symptom exacerbation.
226
01:02Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs
875
Prescription drugs require a prescription from a medical practitioner and can only be obtained from a pharmacy. They have many applications, including treating pain, anxiety, and hypertension.
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
875
01:28Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview
496
The term "psychosis" refers to a spectrum of mental disorders characterized by abnormal thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors. It can manifest as mood disorders, dementia, delirium with psychotic features, substance-induced psychosis with psychotic features, brief psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia. Among all these disorders, schizophrenia is the most common psychotic disorder, affecting 1% of the worldwide population. Psychotic...
496
01:21Antipsychotic Drugs: Typical and Atypical Agents
375
Antipsychotic drugs are classified into first-generation (typical) drugs including phenothiazines; and second-generation (atypical) drugs. Chlorpromazine hydrochloride (Thorazine), a phenothiazine derivative, broadly impacts the central, autonomic, and endocrine systems. This drug, along with typical agents like haloperidol (Haldol), primarily works by antagonizing D2 receptors, thus reducing dopaminergic neurotransmission. However, typical antipsychotics can cause side effects such as sedation...
375