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Polypharmacy MeSH Descriptor Data 2026


MeSH Heading
Polypharmacy
Tree Number(s)
E02.319.698
N02.421.380.450.188.500
N05.300.150.395.450.188.500
Unique ID
D019338
RDF Unique Identifier
http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D019338
Annotation
note category: do not confuse with POLYPHARMACOLOGY, the design or use of drugs acting on multiple targets or pathways or with PHARMACOLOGY, the discipline or with DRUG COMBINATIONS or with POLYCHEMOTHERAPY see DRUG THERAPY, COMBINATION
Scope Note
The use of multiple drugs administered to the same patient, most commonly seen in elderly patients. It includes also the administration of excessive medication. Since in the United States most drugs are dispensed as single-agent formulations, polypharmacy, though using many drugs administered to the same patient, must be differentiated from DRUG COMBINATIONS, single preparations containing two or more drugs as a fixed dose, and from DRUG THERAPY, COMBINATION, two or more drugs administered separately for a combined effect. (From Segen, Dictionary of Modern Medicine, 1992)
Entry Version
POLYPHARM
Entry Term(s)
Polymedication
See Also
Drug Antagonism
Drug Combinations
Drug Overdose
Drug Therapy, Combination
Public MeSH Note
1997; for OVERMEDICATION see MEDICAL OVERUSE 2016-2021
History Note
1997; for OVERMEDICATION use MEDICAL OVERUSE 2016-2021
Date Introduced
1997/01/01
Last Updated
2021/03/12
Polypharmacy Preferred
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