What is polypharmacy?

If you are living with multiple chronic diseases, you probably also take a lot of medication. This is called polypharmacy. Polypharmacy means that you take several types of medication at the same time. The more medication you take, the more important it is for you to maintain an overview. Medication can help, but it can also have side effects. Sometimes side effects can feel like new symptoms. You may feel dizzy, tired or have a stomach ache. So it can be difficult to know: is it the disease or the medicine? That’s why it’s a good idea to be prepared when you talk to your doctor. For example, you can use assistive aids such as side effect cards or the PREPAIR form to help remember what you are experiencing and which questions you would like to ask. It can also be difficult to remember all your medication. There are many assistive aids available. For example, pill organisers or the MedicinHuske app on your phone, which can remind you to take your medication. Below the video you will find links to assistive aids. It is perfectly okay to ask your doctor whether you still need to take all your medicine. Sometimes one drug can be dropped, and the most important can be prioritised. This should always be done in agreement with your doctor. And remember, if you change anything yourself, tell your doctor. If you switch hospital, GP, home nurse or pharmacy, not all information is always transferred. This is why regular reviews of your medication are important. It ensures that the medication list matches your treatment and that there are no medications that interact in an inappropriate way. Your GP, the pharmacy and the hospital can all perform a medication review. Your medicine may change its name and appearance, either when you pick up new medicine from the pharmacy or if you have been admitted and received hospital medication. This is called generic medicine or copy medication. This is no reason for concern. The pharmacy only dispenses medicines containing the same active ingredients and that work in the same way. There are neither more nor fewer side effects from generic medicines. But you can save money by choosing the least expensive. If you are not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacy which medicines are identical and have them write this on the pack. Always tell your doctor or pharmacy if you are taking any over-the-counter medicines or dietary supplements. These can affect the medication you're already taking. Remember: it’s better to ask once too much than once too little. Your doctor and pharmacy are there to help you.