During the years 1999-2000 only 6.3% of Americans used five or more drugs, while in the years 2007-2008 approximately 10.7% of Americans used five or more drugs, i.e. an increase of 4.4%. In the last ten years alone, the use of five or more drugs has increased by 70%. The growing need for healthcare providers to communicate about the care of their patients is becoming evident. However in recent years more and more hospitals are using electronic medical records that can be sent to each healthcare provider, this helps the patient relive some of the stress in remembering what medications they are taking and the dosages they are taking. Additionally, healthcare providers can now see when their patient last saw another doctor and which diagnosis was creating a more stable healthcare system and fewer drug reactions. While there is always room for error, but if every hospital adopted this system there is a good chance that polypharmacy will become a thing of the past. Polypharmacy is becoming a deadly epidemic for the elderly, it is advisable to know the risks and ways to prevent it