ECONOMIC BURDEN OF POLYPHARMACY ON GERIATRIC PATIENTS

Polypharmacy is increasingly prevalent among older adults due to population aging and rising multimorbidity, affecting nearly 39% of geriatric individuals and over 59% of frail elderly populations. This review of studies published between 2015 and 2025, identified through major databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane Library, evaluates the multidimensional economic burden of polypharmacy among adults aged 65 years and older. Evidence consistently indicates that polypharmacy is associated with nearly a twofold increase in total healthcare expenditure and a substantial rise in pharmacy-related costs. In the United States, older adults exposed to polypharmacy incur significantly higher annual healthcare expenses compared with those without it, and mismanaged polypharmacy contributes billions of dollars in avoidable healthcare spending each year. The economic impact extends beyond direct medication costs to include hospitalizations resulting from adverse drug reactions, emergency department visits, increased outpatient consultations, prolonged hospital stays, caregiver burden, and diminished quality of life. Collectively, these findings underscore the urgent need for evidence-based interventions, such as medication therapy management, structured deprescribing protocols, regular medication review, and interprofessional collaboration, to optimize pharmacotherapy, reduce unnecessary expenditures, and improve clinical outcomes in the geriatric population. Keywords: Polypharmacy, Geriatric, Economic Burden, Deprescribing, Adverse Drug Reactions, Healthcare Expenditure, Multimorbidity.