International Journal of Clinical Case Reports, 2025, Vol.15, No.4, 159-170 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/ijccr 159 Research Insight Open Access Polypharmacy in Elderly Individuals with Multimorbidity, Risks and Management Approaches ManmanLi Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206,Hainan, China Corresponding email: manmanm.li@hibio.org International Journal of Clinical Case Reports 2025, Vol.15, No.4 doi: 10.5376/ijccr.2025.15.0017 Received: 19 May, 2025 Accepted: 30 Jun., 2025 Published: 19 Jul., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Li, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Li M.M., 2025, Polypharmacy in elderly individuals with multimorbidity, risks and management approaches, International Journal of Clinical Case Reports, 15(4): 159-170 (doi: 10.5376/ijccr.2025.15.0017) Abstract This study explored the issues and countermeasures of using multiple drugs in elderly patients with coexisting multiple diseases, and simultaneously described the clinical characteristics of such patients. This study also discussed the main challenges of multidrug therapy, such as the side effects brought by drugs, adverse effects between drugs, increased treatment costs, as well as individualized medication guidance, team collaboration intervention, and the use of medical information technology to assist in diagnosis and treatment systems. A comparative study of foreign experiences highlights the differences between good practices and policies, especially in light of the specific circumstances of China's medical system. This research also covers future development trends, including individualized medicine, the application prospects of artificial intelligence, and the formulation of medication norms suitable for the elderly. This study aims to improve the medication regimens for elderly patients with multiple coexisting diseases through an overall, patient-focused, and system-level strategy, in order to provide safer and more effective medical services. Keywords Polypharmacy; Multimorbidity; Elderly patients; Medication management; Deprescribing 1 Introduction The elderly often suffer from several diseases, so they need to take multiple medications-that is, multimedication -to control these chronic diseases. The physical condition that changes with age, the weakening of the body, and the lack of specialized treatment guidelines for elderly people suffering from multiple diseases make this situation even more complicated. Traditional single-disease guidelines often fail to address the issue of taking more and more medication, which increases the risks of adverse drug reactions, mutual influence between drugs, and patients not taking their medication as required. Neither patients nor doctors are confident when making decisions. They have difficulties in weighing the pros and cons of treatment, determining the sequence of treatment, and ensuring that care centers around the needs of patients (Bokhof and Junius-Walker, 2016; Stewart et al., 2016; Muth et al., 2018; Mangin et al., 2018; Dovjak, 2022; Van Onna and Boonen, 2022). It is common for the elderly to take multiple medications. Research shows that more than half of the elderly take five or more types of medicine, and in some cases, this proportion can be as high as 89% (Nicholson et al., 2024). The occurrence of multiple diseases and taking multiple medications increases with age and brings many adverse health outcomes, such as adverse drug reactions, hospitalization, geriatric syndrosts (like frailty and malnutrition), inappropriate medication prescriptions, and a higher risk of death (Wastesson et al., 2018; Lopez-Rodriguez et al., 2020; Schneider et al., 2021; Van Onna and Boonen, 2022; Guo et al., 2022). However, there is evidence suggesting that rational combined medication (necessary and well-managed drugs) may reduce the risk of death among hospitalized elderly people, indicating the need for individualized medication patterns (Zhao et al., 2023). This study will explore solutions that integrate patients, multi-disciplinary teams, and localized adjustments, which play a significant role in improving medication arrangements, reducing medication harm, and enhancing health levels. Methods such as drug examination, prescription, doctor-patient consultation, and management of multiple medications have shown effects, but more research is needed and they can also be applied to daily care. This study aims to address the issue of using multiple medications simultaneously, which is crucial for patients'
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