A Review of Risk Factors for Polypharmacy: Age, Level of Education, and Physician's Attitude.

Polypharmacy, a growing public health and economic concern, is particularly common among the elderly due to the high prevalence of multimorbidity, such as dementia and stroke, which necessitates complex treatment regimens. While commonly understood as taking five or more medications, definitions of polypharmacy are varied and may be misleading in clinical practice. This research examines factors such as a country's expenditure on health and education, age, and clinicians' holistic approaches to compare the prevalence of polypharmacy across different groups. The review included documentary research through PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases and search engines, resulting in seven selected sources. The average year of publication was 2020 (median: 2020; standard deviation: 1.63; range: 2018 to 2023). The level of polypharmacy was found to be significantly dependent on per capita expenditure on education (R = -0.79; F(6) = -3.11; p = 0.02) and health (R = -0.76; F(6) = -2.88; p = 0.03). Countries with higher spending in these areas had a lower proportion of participants with polypharmacy. Additionally, patients' quality of life (QoL) is closely tied to the amount of medication they consume, highlighting the need for physicians to avoid unnecessary prescriptions. Patients impacted by polypharmacy often lack knowledge about their diseases and medications, negatively affecting their QoL and compliance. To develop effective treatment plans and improve clinical practice, doctors should consider these risk factors, prioritize patient education, and utilize innovative technologies to support patients. While polypharmacy is sometimes unavoidable and necessary, this approach could in some cases help mitigate the challenges and risks posed by inappropriate polypharmacy and enhance patients' QoL. Furthermore, policymakers should consider increasing spending on education and healthcare, as this may resolve clinical and economic problems related to the issue.