Polypharmacy, Drug-Drug Interactions and Adverse Effects

This area of research examines the risks patients may face when taking multiple prescription drugs at once, also known as polypharmacy, including the potential impact of harmful drug-drug interactions or cumulative side effects from taking many drugs. These risks could potentially affect millions of people of all ages, including both adolescents and the elderly. One particular challenge is that a patient’s medication may not be prescribed entirely at one pharmacy or by one doctor which increases the risk of them experiencing drug-drug interactions and/or adverse side effects. The goal is to develop a tool to assist health care professionals and patients in making more informed decisions about the medications they prescribe, dispense, or use and better understand not only their therapeutic benefits but their side effects alone and in combination with other drugs.

Select Publications:

McCormick CD, Dadiomov D, Trotzky-Sirr R, Qato DM. Prevalence and distribution of high-risk prescription opioid use in the United States, 2011-2016. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2021 Aug 26. doi: 10.1002/pds.5349. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34435406.

Qato, D. M., & Olfson, M. (2018). Medications With Depression as an Adverse Effect—Reply. JAMA, 320(17), 1816-1816.

Qato, D. M., Ozenberger, K., & Olfson, M. (2018). Prevalence of prescription medications with depression as a potential adverse effect among adults in the United States. JAMA, 319(22), 2289-2298.

Qato, D. M., Alexander, G. C., Guadamuz, J. S., & Lindau, S. T. (2018). Prescription medication use among children and adolescents in the United States. Pediatrics, 142(3).

Altaweel, A. B., Abusalah, L., & Qato, D. M. (2018). Near Field Communication Detection System for Drug-Drug Interactions. Procedia Computer Science, 140, 314-323.

Qato, D. M., Alexander, G. C., Guadamuz, J. S., & Lindau, S. T. (2018). Prevalence of dietary supplement use in US children and adolescents, 2003-2014. JAMA Pediatrics, 172(8), 780-782.

Qato, D. M., Wilder, J., Schumm, L. P., Gillet, V., & Alexander, G. C. (2016). Changes in prescription and over-the-counter medication and dietary supplement use among older adults in the United States, 2005 vs 2011. JAMA Internal Medicine, 176(4), 473-482.

Qato, D. M., Manzoor, B. S., & Lee, T. A. (2015). Drug–alcohol interactions in older US adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 63(11), 2324-2331.

Qato, D. M., Alexander, G. C., Conti, R. M., Johnson, M., Schumm, P., & Lindau, S. T. (2008). Use of prescription and over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements among older adults in the United States. JAMA, 300(24), 2867-2878.

Policy Impact:


H.R.4404 – Depression Side Effect Labeling Awareness Act of 2019

Rush Reintroduces Bill Requiring Drug Companies to Properly Label Products that Present an Increased Risk of Suicide or Depression: This bill would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require that the label of drugs with an increased risk of suicide or depression present such increased risk prominently. Read House Resolution 4404 here. 

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