It should be stressed that in some instances polypharmacy is necessary in adequately maintaining certain conditions. For example, it is now recommended by the Joint National Committee on Hypertension (JNC-7) to aggressive treat hypertension to prevent cardiovascular disease and or stroke. This move to more aggressive treatment involves a multiple drug approach. The key to preventing ADEs related to polypharmacy is to evaluate each patient case individually weighing the risk versus the benefits of each medication.
Recommendations
1. The probability that you are experiencing a drug interaction with various degrees of severity is 40% likely. You should consult with your physician if you are experiencing unusual symptoms with your current drug therapy.
2. You should keep a detailed list of prescribed and over-the-counter products, and approach taking any additional medication with caution, only after discussing the potential medication-related problems with your physician or consultant pharmacist.
3. You should ask your physician or consultant pharmacist what parameters you should monitor with your current medications, and keep a diary. (e.g. blood pressures with heart medications, blood sugars with diabetic medications, etc.)
