For many older Americans, opening the medicine cabinet has become a daily reminder of just how complicated aging can be. Blood pressure pills sit next to diabetes medications, cholesterol drugs, sleep aids, pain relievers, and vitamins that all have to be taken at different times of day. Health experts warn that this growing “polypharmacy crisis” is now one of the biggest hidden threats facing seniors in the United States. Recent federal health data shows nearly 89% of adults over 65 take at least one prescription medication annually, while other studies estimate that most seniors regularly take multiple medications at once. The problem is not simply the number of prescriptions, but the dangerous interactions, side effects, falls, confusion, and hospitalizations that can happen when too many medications collide.
