ABSTRACT
More and more people around the world live longer. Today, 125 million people are 80 years old or older, and for the first time in history, most people have a life expectancy of at least 60 years. By 2050, the world's population aged 60 and over should total 2 billion, up from 900 million in 2015.
With advancing age, the existence of multiple pathologies and consequently of polymedication is common. There is also the prescription of potentially inappropriate medications, increasing the predisposition to the occurrence of interactions and adverse reactions.
Pharmacotherapy is the main therapeutic resource in the cure and control of various diseases. Therefore, polymedication is an area to highlight and should be viewed as one of the main problems arising from the prescription and non-prescription of medication to the older adult population. In addition, the complexity of pharmacotherapeutic regimens could endanger therapeutic adherence as well as the expected clinical objectives. The creation of a multidisciplinary team in addressing the care of the older adult may be a solution to minimize some risks associated with aging.
