- the onset of dementia.
- Prescribing Cascades: This occurs when a doctor prescribes a new medication to treat a side effect of an existing medication, rather than reducing or eliminating the original problematic drug. This quickly escalates the total pill count and risk profile.
The Breakdown in Care
One of the greatest drivers of polypharmacy is the fragmentation of modern healthcare. Many patients, especially those with long-term illnesses, see several different specialists. You might go to a cardiologist, a rheumatologist, and a urologist, and each doctor prescribes a new medicine without
