eng Science and Education Publishing American Journal of Medical Sciences and Medicine 2327-6657 2021-10-08 9 3 82 88 10.12691/ajmsm-9-3-4 AJMSM2021934 article Hanan Elzeblawy Hassan nona_nano_1712@yahoo.com 1 Soheir Badr-Elden 2 Sameer Hamdi 3 Mohamed Elsayed Aboudonya 4 Maternal and Newborn Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Beni-Suef University, Egypt Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University, Egypt Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Beni-Suef University, Egypt Nursing Science Teaching Specialist in Technical Health Institute of Imbaba, Egypt Background: Poly-pharmacy has previously been recognized as a key predictor of potentially inappropriate prescription in the elderly. The number of medicines used is not always symptomatic of Poly-pharmacy since all of the prescriptions may be clinically required and acceptable for the patient; nevertheless, as the number of prescribed drugs grows, so does the likelihood of Poly-pharmacy. Aim of the study: The study aims to assess the level of knowledge regarding Poly-pharmacy among old-age patients. Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Subjects & Setting: sample size was 114 elderly patients from elderly patients visiting outpatient clinics monthly. Tool: An interview questionnaire to assess geriatric patient¡¯s Poly-pharmacy knowledge. Results: Two-thirds of the study sample (66.7%) were taking medications based on their own previous experience, 41.2% was unaware of the Poly-pharmacy definition, 36.8% didn¡¯t know about Poly-pharmacy contributing factors, 38.5% was unaware of GIT side effects related to Poly-pharmacy, 35.9% was unaware of the Poly-pharmacy impact on their cognitive function, 29.8% didn¡¯t know the measures that are reducing Poly-pharmacy. Conclusion: The prevalence of Poly-pharmacy and its consequences among the elderly is significantly consequent to the level of education. Recommended: Designing an educational program for the elderly to increase their awareness and knowledge about the phenomenon of drug abuse and its consequences. http://pubs.sciepub.com/ajmsm/9/3/4/ajmsm-9-3-4.pdf poly-pharmacy old age knowledge