Six drugs produce fifteen potential 2-drug combinations and twenty
potential three-drug combinations. If the recipient of the polypill adds
an over-the-counter pain reliever for his/her arthritis or headaches, the
potential two-drug combinations rise to 21 and three-drug combinations to
35. Imagine the possibilties if the drug recipient takes a few herbal
remedies plus a multi-vitamin supplement, and drinks alcohol regularly,
not to mention potential food-drug interactions!
Given that medication-related problems consitute a major cause of
hospitalization among the elderly, why would we choose to compound the
problem by administering drugs to those who clearly do not need them?
Rapid Response:
drug interactions
Six drugs produce fifteen potential 2-drug combinations and twenty
potential three-drug combinations. If the recipient of the polypill adds
an over-the-counter pain reliever for his/her arthritis or headaches, the
potential two-drug combinations rise to 21 and three-drug combinations to
35. Imagine the possibilties if the drug recipient takes a few herbal
remedies plus a multi-vitamin supplement, and drinks alcohol regularly,
not to mention potential food-drug interactions!
Given that medication-related problems consitute a major cause of
hospitalization among the elderly, why would we choose to compound the
problem by administering drugs to those who clearly do not need them?
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests