Background information
The global population is aging rapidly. Many countries are now super-aged societies where more than 20% of their population are older than 65 years.
Women comprise much of the older population, a percentage that increases with advancing age1. Older adults are at greatest risk for drug-related harm2. Older women might be more susceptible to drug-related harm than older men, which is due, in part, to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes, making medication optimization for older women particularly important3.
If done carefully and systematically, reducing drug doses, stopping inappropriate drug therapies, and choosing alternative safer therapies can improve the quality of life for many older people.
What is Polypharmacy?
Polypharmacy is generally defined as the use of five or more prescribed or over-the-counter drug therapies. The terms excessive polypharmacy and hyper-polypharmacy
have been used for people taking 10 or more prescription or over-the-counter drug therapies.
Given that people now live longer with multiple medical conditions, many older adults experience polypharmacy. Polypharmacy is particularly important for older women because women are more at risk for drug-related adverse events due to sex-related and gender-related considerations. Further, polypharmacy is associated with the prescribing of potentially inappropriate medications, which heightens the risk of adverse events. Additionally, another reason polypharmacy is a particular issue for women is because women make up the majority of long-term care residents
References
1.World population aging 2019: highlights.
2.World population aging 2017: highlights.
https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/WPA2017_Highlights.pdf
3. Sex differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
Clin Pharmacokinet. 2009; 48: 143-157