Non-Psychotropic Polypharmacy Rises With Age in Psychiatric Inpatients

This cross-sectional analysis demonstrates that age-driven and comorbidity-driven polypharmacy in psychiatric inpatients is overwhelmingly attributable to non-psychotropic drugs, with laxatives leading the burden, reframing where deprescribing attention should focus for older psychiatric patients.

polypharmacynon-psychotropic medicationsantipsychoticslaxativesschizophreniageriatric pharmacydeprescribingcomorbiditycross-sectional studypsychiatric inpatients Geriatrics / Geriatric Pharmacy

Background Information

Non-psychotropic polypharmacy in psychiatric patients rises with age and comorbidities.

Polypharmacy in psychiatric patients can lead to adverse effects, especially in elderly populations with multiple comorbidities. A significant association was found between age, the number of comorbidities, and non-psychotropic polypharmacy. Older patients with more comorbidities had higher non-psychotropic medication counts. Findings suggest the importance of careful medication review in elderly psychiatric patients to minimize inappropriate polypharmacy and its risks. Monitoring non-psychotropic polypharmacy in elderly psychiatric patients is essential to reduce risks.

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Authors: Uju Y, Kanzaki T, Hosoi R, Mimori S, Takizawa T, Hayakawa T

Citation: Uju Y, Kanzaki T, Hosoi R, et al. Patterns of non-psychotropic medication use and polypharmacy in patients with psychiatric disorders: A cross-sectional study on the association with age and physical comorbidity. Medicine. 2026;105(35):e50432. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000050432

Article Links: PubMed · Journal / DOI

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