ArticlePloS one2024
Polypharmacy in primary care: A population-based retrospective cohort study of electronic health records.
Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Measured and perceived affordability of asthma medications and their associations with medication adherence among adult patients in Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2026Article
- Observational
- Patient perspectives on drug recalls in the Netherlands: a qualitative study.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2026Article
- [Telegeriatrics for chronic disease management through polypharmacy reduction in primary health careTelegeriatria para o controle de doenças crônicas por meio da redução da polifarmácia na atenção primária à saúde].Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health · 2026Article
- Pharmacist-Led Interventions for Polypharmacy Management in Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Strategies and Outcomes in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Structured medication reviews for patients with polypharmacy in primary care: a cross-sectional study in North West London, UK.JRSM open · 2025Article
- Assessing Medication Literacy and Its Determinants in Chinese Patients with Multimorbidity.Patient preference and adherence · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPolypharmacy, prescription of multiple medications to a patient, is a major challenge for health systems. There have been no peer-reviewed studies of polypharmacy prevalence and medication cost at a population level in England.
aimsTo determine prevalence and medication cost of polypharmacy, by patient characteristics. Design and setting: Retrospective cohort study of North West London electronic health records.
methodWe quantified prevalence and direct cost of polypharmacy (five or more regular medications), stratified by demographics and frailty. We fitted a mixed-effects logistic regression for polypharmacy.
resultsOf 1.7 million adults, 167,665 (9.4%) were on polypharmacy. Age and socio-economic deprivation were associated with polypharmacy (OR 9.24 95% CI 8.99 to 9.50, age 65-74 compared with 18-44; OR 0.68 95% CI 0.65 to 0.71, least deprived compared with most). Polypharmacy prevalence increased with frailty (OR 1.53 95% CI 1.53 to 1.54 per frailty component, for White women). Men had higher odds of polypharmacy than women at average frailty (OR 1.26 95% CI 1.24 to 1.28) and with additional frailty components (OR 1.10 95% CI 1.09 to 1.10). Black people had lower odds of polypharmacy at average frailty (OR 0.82 95% CI 0.79 to 0.85, compared with White), but along with other ethnicities, saw greater odds increases with increasing frailty (OR 1.02 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03). Annual medication cost 8.2 times more for those on polypharmacy compared with not (£370.89 and £45.31).
conclusionDemographic characteristics are associated with polypharmacy, after adjusting for frailty. Further research should explore why, to reduce health inequities and optimise cost associated with polypharmacy.
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