Talking to your doctor or health care professional about your medications is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your health. This is especially important for older adults taking multiple drugs.

Thanks to an aging population and drug breakthroughs, more Americans than ever are taking five or more prescription medications – a situation known as polypharmacy.

How common is polypharmacy?

Estimates vary on how many patients take five or more prescription medications. But many studies state that the rate of polypharmacy in the U.S. has nearly doubled since 2000.

The trend has been especially true of Americans older than 65. A JAMA Internal Medicine review of a national prescription medicine database found 43% of people over 65 took five or more prescription medications in a 30-day period. That’s up from 23.6% in the early 2000s. The over-65 population takes an average of 4.3 prescription medications in a 30-day period, according to the study¹.

Those totals don’t include nonprescription medicines, and over-the-counter vitamins and supplements. People over 65 are the largest consumers of supplements in the United States, which increases the risk of drug interactions.

Why are medication reviews important for older adults?

Taking multiple prescription drugs is not inherently a bad thing, but it does increase the risk of²:

• Drug interactions. Some medicines that are effective individually may conflict with others.
• Effects of aging. Older adults’ changing metabolism means drugs that once worked as intended no longer do.
• Cascading prescriptions. Side effects may be misdiagnosed as new conditions, which could lead to new prescriptions that aren’t required.
• Medication nonadherence. It’s easy to lose track and not take medicines as prescribed.
• Patient use of nonprescription drugs and supplements. This includes not only over-the-counter drugs and supplements. It also includes alcohol, marijuana and other substance use.

How to prepare for a medication review

It’s a good idea to review your medication with your doctor or health professional at each appointment. Often, you’ll be asked about your medication history to make sure your electronic health record is up to date.

To get the most out of your review, bring a complete, written list of:

• All prescription medicines you take regularly. For each drug, note how often you take it, and the dosage. If you’re supposed to be taking something regularly but you aren’t, note that, too.
• All non-prescription medicines and supplements you take regularly. Same as prescription drugs, note how often you take each one, and the dosage. The dosage is available on the packaging.
• Other substances you take regularly. Your clinicians aren’t there to judge. But an accurate total of how much alcohol you drink or marijuana you consume is critical for reviewing how other medication might affect you.
• New symptoms since your last review. This will help the clinician work with you to determine if you’re having negative reactions to a certain drug or drugs.

What happens after a medication review

If you’re taking your medications as intended, and you’re having no ill effects, no changes may be needed.

However, your clinician will work with you to make changes if you’re:

• Feeling symptoms that can be tied to a drug or drugs
• Being prescribed a drug you don’t, or no longer, need
• Having difficulty adhering to your drug regimen

If you no longer need a medication, your clinician may stop or wean you off the drug.

Your clinician also will talk to you about the best way to dispose of any unused medicine.

Don’t wait – ask about your medications any time

A medication review is a great way for you and your clinician to ensure you’re taking the right medications.

However, you don’t have to wait for an appointment to talk about your medication. If you’re feeling ill, dizzy or otherwise have symptoms, call your doctor. Mention if you’ve just been prescribed a new drug or started taking a new supplement. Share if you’ve changed your dosage. Any information helps.

You and your clinicians are partners in making sure you’re taking the right medication. There’s nothing wrong with taking multiple drugs – if you need them.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Suicide Data and Statistics.” Accessed July 31, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/data.html
2. Health Affairs. “Suicide rates are high and rising in the U.S.” Accessed July 31, 2025. https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/suicide-rates-high-and-rising-among-older-adults-usJAMA Internal Medicine. “Prescription Medicine Use Among Older Adults in the US.” Accessed Sept. 22, 2025. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2820722
3. National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biological Information. “Polypharmacy.” Accessed Sept. 22, 2025. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532953/