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AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN NURSING RESEARCH

Polypharmacy is defined as “prescription, administration or use of more medications that are clinically indicated or when a medical regimen includes at least one unnecessary medication.” Although polypharmacy can be appropriate, it is more often inappropriate. Concerns about polypharmacy include increased adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, prescribing cascade and higher costs. Polypharmacy is often associated with a decreased quality of life, decreased mobility and cognition. Objectives to determine the opinion about polypharmacy among nurses in a rural tertiary care centre, AIMS, B G Nagar. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among nurses of AIMS, B G Nagar, Mandya, Karnataka. The study questions included the opinion of nurses about polypharmacy in different group of patients. A total of 94 questionnaires were distributed. 76 questionnaires were complete and taken for the study. The responders rate was 80.85%, among them 71.05% (54) were females and 28.95% (22) were males. 76.31% agreed that polypharmacy increases therapeutic effect of drugs, 53.93% responded that it shortens the duration of treatment, 48.68% and 46.04% agreed that polypharmacy improves quality of life and prolongs the life survival respectively. 90.78% opined that polypharmacy increases drug interactions where as 81.57% opined that it increases adverse effects. 59.2% stated that polypharmacy increases non-compliance of patients towards prescribed drugs. 56.57% supported that polypharmacy is beneficial in geriatric age group, 51.31% and 65.78% strongly agreed that polypharmacy is not beneficial among both paediatric and middle age group patients respectively. Our study showed that majority of nurses has good knowledge towards polypharmacy. They opined about both the positive and negative aspects of polypharmacy. To provide improved and better patient care, the nurses can be educated about polypharmacy with educational interventions like training programmes and conducting CME (Continued Medical Education) periodically.