Polypharmacy- Purpose, Benefits and Limitations

With what has become increasingly common among nearly all medical specialties, the number of patients who have various comorbid diseases both psychiatrically and mentally challenges the field of psychiatry. As a result, it is not uncommon for physicians to be imposed with treatment decisions regarding polypharmacy, the use of multiple medications to treat different diseases, or even the same illness several times. In recent years, the concept of polypharmacy has been known to have a negative undertone, implying that its use is inappropriate or causes more harm than the potential benefit. Although the use of any medication should involve risk versus benefit discussion, when used with good clinical judgment and pharmacologically sound knowledge, this practice can be potentially life-altering for patients.