Bandar Theyab ALENEZI, Elhassan Hussein ELTOM, Zakariya Mohammed Salih MOHAMMED, Mohanad Osman Norain AHMED, Rakan Nasser Abdullah ALRUWAILI, Abdulaziz Fayez ALANAZI, Tariq Hamoud Talab ALANAZI, Abdulaziz Hussain Ali ALANAZI
Annals of Clinical and Analytical Medicine - 2026;17(4):384-389
Aim: Polypharmacy refers to the simultaneous consumption of numerous medications by a person. The most frequently cited description of polypharmacy involves taking five or more medications daily. Polypharmacy is becoming an increasing worry on a global scale, especially among individuals with long-term health conditions. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study design was employed to investigate the prevalence of polypharmacy among elderly patients with chronic diseases aged > 60 visiting Prince Abdulaziz Bin Moussaid Hospital in Arar City. Data was collected from the hospital electronic health records for 6 months between January and June 2022. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the prevalence of polypharmacy among the study population. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with polypharmacy. Results: The overall prevalence of polypharmacy was found to be 39.3%, a result that is consistent with the global finding of analogous populations. Conclusion: Our study stated a considerable prevalence of polypharmacy among elderly people with chronic diseases in Arar City in Saudi Arabia, specifically among individuals with diabetes, and those treated in home care settings. Targeted interventions and policy measures are crucially needed to optimize medication utilization to reduce polypharmacy rates and adverse drug events in high-risk subgroups.
