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Govaerts J, Boeyckens J, Lammens A, et al. Defining polypharmacy: in search of a more comprehensive determination method applied in a tertiary psychiatric hospital. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2021;11:20451253211000610doi: 10.1177/20451253211000610.
Govaerts, J., Boeyckens, J., Lammens, A., Gilis, A., Bouckaert, F., De Hert, M., De Lepeleire, J., Stubbs, B., & Desplenter, F. (2021). Defining polypharmacy: in search of a more comprehensive determination method applied in a tertiary psychiatric hospital. Therapeutic advances in psychopharmacology, 1120451253211000610. https://doi.org/10.1177/20451253211000610
Govaerts, Jeroen, et al. "Defining polypharmacy: in search of a more comprehensive determination method applied in a tertiary psychiatric hospital." Therapeutic advances in psychopharmacology vol. 11 (2021): 20451253211000610. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/20451253211000610
Govaerts J, Boeyckens J, Lammens A, Gilis A, Bouckaert F, De Hert M, De Lepeleire J, Stubbs B, Desplenter F. Defining polypharmacy: in search of a more comprehensive determination method applied in a tertiary psychiatric hospital. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2021 Mar 19;11:20451253211000610. doi: 10.1177/20451253211000610. eCollection 2021. PMID: 33796267; PMCID: PMC7985946.
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Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2021 Mar 19;11:20451253211000610. doi: 10.1177/20451253211000610. eCollection 2021.

Defining polypharmacy: in search of a more comprehensive determination method applied in a tertiary psychiatric hospital.

Therapeutic advances in psychopharmacology

Jeroen Govaerts, Julie Boeyckens, Astrid Lammens, Annelies Gilis, Filip Bouckaert, Marc De Hert, Jan De Lepeleire, Brendon Stubbs, Franciska Desplenter

Affiliations

  1. University Psychiatric Center Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, Leuvensesteenweg 517, Kortenberg, 3070, Belgium.
  2. Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  3. University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Kortenberg, Belgium.
  4. Physiotherapy Department, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom. Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.

PMID: 33796267 PMCID: PMC7985946 DOI: 10.1177/20451253211000610

Abstract

AIMS: This cross-sectional pharmacoepidemiologic study examined the prevalence of polypharmacy and psychotropic polypharmacy among inpatients in a tertiary psychiatric hospital in Belgium.

METHODS: Current prescriptions of all inpatients suffering from mental disorders were extracted from the hospital Computerized Physician Order Entry. Two methods were used to examine definitive polypharmacy (defined as the concomitant use of at least five medicines): number of medicines per active component and per prescription. Psychotropic polypharmacy was defined as the concomitant use of at least two psychotropic medicines, based on the first counting, i.e., per active component.

RESULTS: In 292 included patients, the prevalence of definitive polypharmacy was 65.8%, with a mean number of 6.8 ± 4.2 medicines per patient. The most prevalent medicines were related to the central nervous system (55.7%), followed by medicines related to the gastro-intestinal (17.6%) and cardiovascular (9.4%) systems. A prevalence of psychotropic polypharmacy of 78.1% was observed, with a mean of 3.0 ± 1.7 psychotropic medicines per patient. Psychotropic polypharmacy was classified in same-class (71.5%), multi-class (82.5%), augmentation (20.6%), and adjuvant (35.5%) polypharmacy.

CONCLUSION: These findings are consistent with previous reports of highly prevalent polypharmacy in patients with mental disorders. Although, in some cases, polypharmacy can be an important part of good clinical practice, the high prevalence of both polypharmacy and psychotropic polypharmacy emphasizes that attention must be paid to the potentially associated risks. Consensus on the definition and method of determination of polypharmacy is needed to support further research.

© The Author(s), 2021.

Keywords: pharmacoepidemiology; polypharmacy; psychiatry; psychotropic polypharmacy

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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