Polypharmacy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Polypharmacy is the use of multiple medications by a patient, generally older adults (those aged over 65 years). More specifically, it is often defined as the use of five or more regular medications. It sometimes alternatively refers to purportedly excessive or unnecessary prescriptions. The term polypharmacy lacks a universally consistent definition. Polypharmacy is most common in the elderly, affecting about 40% of older adults living in their own homes.
Although polypharmacy can be appropriate, it is more often inappropriate. Concerns about polypharmacy include increased adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions, prescribing cascade, and higher costs. Polypharmacy is often associated with a deceased quality of life, decreased mobility and cognition.
Whether or not the advantages of polypharmacy (over monotherapy) outweight the disadvantages or risks depends upon the particular combination and diagnosis involved in any given case.[8] The use of multiple drugs, even in fairly straightforward illnesses, is not an indicator of poor treatment. A perfectly legitimate treatment regimen could include, for example, the following: a statin, an ACE inhibitor, a beta-blocker, aspirin, paracetamol and an antidepressant in the first year after a myocardial infarction."
Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine said, "Let Food Be Your Medicine" (not polypharmacy)
What happened to the Hippocratic oaths and principles?
When did we start the process of replacing food as medicine with drugs as medicine ?
I am a Health Coach, Wellness Educator and Zumba Fitness Instructor. I provide Health & Fitness programs to seniors, every day in senior centers, assisted Living and independent living facilities, clubs, organizations, Recreation Centers and Parks. I belong to 3 Task Forces on Aging, Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake and occasionally attend the in Portsmouth. In those rooms, I meet dedicated professionals committed to making the lives of seniors more comfortable, safer and healthier. I talk to families. I talk to seniors and I'm not happy with what I've been seeing or hearing regarding polypharmacy.
Seniors are falling. Seniors are suffering from forms of dementia. Seniors are losing their ability to focus and concentrate. Seniors are developing Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurological diseases. Seniors are depressed. Seniors have no energy. Seniors have no ambition or drive. Seniors suffer with severe aches and pains. Seniors have limited memory. Seniors have lost their sense of humor.
Is this the result of the normal aging process or of being over-medicated? Are these symptoms the result of drug side-effects, causng all the above symptoms and more? I don't know the answer, but I'm surely concerned.
I met a family the other day who told me their loved one was on 40 different drugs at the same time. How in the world can anyone swallow 40 different medications throughout the day? How can they remember what they took and what they didn't and who has the time to prepare the dosages?
Every day I meet someone whose family members are suffering from the symptoms of being over-medicated. My dad was on 15 different drugs when he passed away. Like most people over 60, he was prescribed medications for high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes and arthritis. Seniors do not question their medical professional. They just fill the prescription and take the medications. My dad was also prescribed medications to reduce symptoms triggered from the medications.
In my opinion as a Health Professional/Educator, he, like many seniors was over-medicated and experiencing every side effect, microscopically written on the insert included with the prescription. If one can read the warnings and contraindications with a magnifying glass, chances are you are suffering from drug side effects than from the original health condition from which they sought relief.
What happened to the oath that once guided medical professionals written by Hippocrates, The Father of Medicine who said, "Do No Harm". Are pharmaceutical companies so powerful and influential to control the medical professionals as to which drugs a patient should be taking?
Something is wrong with this picture!!!
The FDA stopped the production of L-tryptophane, an amino acid because one company had a problem with the ingredients. Rarely are the pharmaceutical companies shut down for producing and promoting the toxic chemicals in their products and rarely are they forced to take responsibility for harming patients.
There are so many 'natural', safe and inexpensive approaches to healing with no side effects. When a patient refuses to take a prescription, as I often do, and presents a natural remedy to their medical professional, often they are discouraged and told it's dangerous or ineffective. Natural healing approaches could put the pharmaceutical companies out of business.
The Polypharmacy model must undergo radical changes as more people say NO TO DRUGS and adopt a more natural , holistic approach to healing.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Polypharmacy is the use of multiple medications by a patient, generally older adults (those aged over 65 years). More specifically, it is often defined as the use of five or more regular medications. It sometimes alternatively refers to purportedly excessive or unnecessary prescriptions. The term polypharmacy lacks a universally consistent definition. Polypharmacy is most common in the elderly, affecting about 40% of older adults living in their own homes.
Although polypharmacy can be appropriate, it is more often inappropriate. Concerns about polypharmacy include increased adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions, prescribing cascade, and higher costs. Polypharmacy is often associated with a deceased quality of life, decreased mobility and cognition.
Whether or not the advantages of polypharmacy (over monotherapy) outweight the disadvantages or risks depends upon the particular combination and diagnosis involved in any given case.[8] The use of multiple drugs, even in fairly straightforward illnesses, is not an indicator of poor treatment. A perfectly legitimate treatment regimen could include, for example, the following: a statin, an ACE inhibitor, a beta-blocker, aspirin, paracetamol and an antidepressant in the first year after a myocardial infarction."
Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine said, "Let Food Be Your Medicine" (not polypharmacy)
What happened to the Hippocratic oaths and principles?
When did we start the process of replacing food as medicine with drugs as medicine ?
I am a Health Coach, Wellness Educator and Zumba Fitness Instructor. I provide Health & Fitness programs to seniors, every day in senior centers, assisted Living and independent living facilities, clubs, organizations, Recreation Centers and Parks. I belong to 3 Task Forces on Aging, Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake and occasionally attend the in Portsmouth. In those rooms, I meet dedicated professionals committed to making the lives of seniors more comfortable, safer and healthier. I talk to families. I talk to seniors and I'm not happy with what I've been seeing or hearing regarding polypharmacy.
Seniors are falling. Seniors are suffering from forms of dementia. Seniors are losing their ability to focus and concentrate. Seniors are developing Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurological diseases. Seniors are depressed. Seniors have no energy. Seniors have no ambition or drive. Seniors suffer with severe aches and pains. Seniors have limited memory. Seniors have lost their sense of humor.
Is this the result of the normal aging process or of being over-medicated? Are these symptoms the result of drug side-effects, causng all the above symptoms and more? I don't know the answer, but I'm surely concerned.
I met a family the other day who told me their loved one was on 40 different drugs at the same time. How in the world can anyone swallow 40 different medications throughout the day? How can they remember what they took and what they didn't and who has the time to prepare the dosages?
Every day I meet someone whose family members are suffering from the symptoms of being over-medicated. My dad was on 15 different drugs when he passed away. Like most people over 60, he was prescribed medications for high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes and arthritis. Seniors do not question their medical professional. They just fill the prescription and take the medications. My dad was also prescribed medications to reduce symptoms triggered from the medications.
In my opinion as a Health Professional/Educator, he, like many seniors was over-medicated and experiencing every side effect, microscopically written on the insert included with the prescription. If one can read the warnings and contraindications with a magnifying glass, chances are you are suffering from drug side effects than from the original health condition from which they sought relief.
What happened to the oath that once guided medical professionals written by Hippocrates, The Father of Medicine who said, "Do No Harm". Are pharmaceutical companies so powerful and influential to control the medical professionals as to which drugs a patient should be taking?
Something is wrong with this picture!!!
The FDA stopped the production of L-tryptophane, an amino acid because one company had a problem with the ingredients. Rarely are the pharmaceutical companies shut down for producing and promoting the toxic chemicals in their products and rarely are they forced to take responsibility for harming patients.
There are so many 'natural', safe and inexpensive approaches to healing with no side effects. When a patient refuses to take a prescription, as I often do, and presents a natural remedy to their medical professional, often they are discouraged and told it's dangerous or ineffective. Natural healing approaches could put the pharmaceutical companies out of business.
The Polypharmacy model must undergo radical changes as more people say NO TO DRUGS and adopt a more natural , holistic approach to healing.
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