Evidence summary

Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication use among older adults in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Frontiers in Pharmacology · 2021Akshaya S Bhagavathula, Kota Vidyasagar, Manik Chhabra, et al.
Open source

Quick takeaway

This systematic review and meta-analysis quantifies the scale of polypharmacy and inappropriate prescribing in older adults in India, giving health systems a clearer medication-safety prevention target.

Why this matters

High practical value for geriatric and NCD clinics where prevention depends on safer medication use.

Key caution

Definitions of polypharmacy and inappropriate medications vary across included studies, which adds heterogeneity.

Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication use among older adults in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis