Munawar Khursheed - Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital
Feroza Perveen - The Aga khan university hospital karachi.
Naveed Ahmed - Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi
Rakshinda Mujeeb - Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital
Asher Feroze - Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital
Shehryar Orakzai - Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital

Introduction: A prescription containing five or more drugs is likely to result in adverse consequences that may involve hospital admission, falls & many other complications. Increasing incidence of Polypharmacy among patients visiting ED calls for a more judicious and cautious approach to prescribing with a focus on long term as well as short term health care issues. Objective: To estimate the incidence and current trend of poly-pharmacy among patients (pediatric and adults) visiting emergency department (ED) of a at a tertiary care hospital.Methods: It was retrospective study in which those patients’ data who visited the emergency department of Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) was reviewed & analyzed. The duration of study is between January, ۲۰۱۲ to December, ۲۰۱۲. The detailed clinical records of randomly selected patient through a simple random sampling method were retrieved out of ۵۱,۰۰۰ patients visited ED during the period.Results: Total ۵۱,۰۰۰ patients visited ED during study period, out of those ۳۷۲ patients were randomly selected. Polypharmacy was common in ۶۹.۹% (۲۵۱) of patients with elderly population were most effected age group P < ۰.۰۵. Male were ۵۱.۹ % (۱۹۳) & adults were ۸۰.۴% (۲۹۵). The most common triage category was P۱ ۴۰.۲% (۱۰۰). Top most diagnosis was respiratory tract infection with antibiotic was the most prescribed drugs in ED ۹۱% (۳۴۰).Conclusion: The perils and problems associated with Poly pharmacy are a subject of interest as polypharmacy found to be significant finding among all ED patients 

Polypharmacy, Emergency Department, tertiary care hospital, Pakistan