title: Polypharmacy in psychiatry: update and future trends.
abstract: Psychoactive drug combinations continue to be controversial. The concept of "polypharmacy", a pejorative and meaningless term, nevertheless gave rise to useful surveys on combined drug use, to methods of monitoring and controlling multiple drug use, and to a small number of studies which imply that a few psychoactive drug-drug combinations are rational. This paper updates the contributions to these areas since two major reviews of the subject were published in the early 1980's. It highlights common pitfalls in the survey-taking process. Finally, it suggests future useful avenues of study and research, wherein it is hoped that the studies will be more rational than the term "polypharmacy".
mesh_terms: D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs