polypharmacy

noun

poly·​phar·​ma·​cy ˌpä-li-ˈfär-mə-sē 

: the practice of administering many different medicines especially concurrently for the treatment of a single disease

also : the concurrent use of multiple medications by a patient to treat usually coexisting conditions and which may result in adverse drug interactions

Examples of polypharmacy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Another larger issue is polypharmacy, which is the regular use of 5 or more medications at the same time. —Sophie Okolo, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024

But taking many medicines simultaneously, known among medical experts as polypharmacy, increases people’s risk of experiencing severe side effects and drug interactions, said Dr. Nina Blachman, an associate professor of medicine and geriatrics at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine. —Knvul Sheikh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2024

That practice, called polypharmacy, can increase the likelihood of harmful side effects, the suit said. —Darcy Costello, Baltimore Sun, 17 Jan. 2023

Instances of polypharmacy do not always begin with a diagnosis of A.D.H.D. —Matt Richtel Annie Flanagan, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2022

Similarly, the use of dimensions as key secondary end points in many different diagnostic categories may lead to pseudospecific indications and polypharmacy. —Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 3 Aug. 2012

Word History

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for polypharmacy

• pharmacy

Medical Definition

polypharmacy

noun

poly·​phar·​ma·​cy -ˈfär-mə-sē 

plural polypharmacies

: the practice of administering many different medicines especially concurrently for the treatment of the same disease

also : the concurrent use of multiple medications by a patient to treat usually coexisting conditions and which may result in adverse drug interactions