OBJECTIVE: To investigate the common diseases

commonly used drugs and polypharmacy in the elderly

so as to provide basis for the formulation of drug rearrangement strategies in the elderly. METHODS: The oral drug information of local and military patients of three tertiary hospitals was collected

the drug information of retired officers living in sanatoriums in Shanghai was investigated by questionnaire survey method

and the disease and medication of outpatients and retired officers were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 15 356 patients were enrolled in the analysis

including 459 local patients in hospital A

598 local patients in hospital B

13 213 local patients in hospital C

366 military patients in hospital C

and 720 retired officers in sanatoriums. The mean age（84.55±10.09） years

the mean number of diseases（5.78±3.34） categories

and the mean number of drugs（6.43±3.80） categories of retired officers in sanatoriums were higher than those of other elderly patients

with statistically significant differences（P<0.01）. Among local patients in hospital A

local patients in hospital B

local patients in hospital C

military patients in hospital C

and anretired officers in sanatoriums

those taking 5 or more drugs accounted for 6.32%（29/459）

10.37%（62/598）

13.04%（1 723/13 213）

60.93%（223/366） and 68.61%（494/720）.In addition to the old cadres under the age of 70

the prevalence of polypharmacy in retired officers with other different characteristics were more than >50%

and the polypharmacy was remarkably serious among the elderly with older age

lower education and worse sleep quality. Retired officers were mainly suffering from chronic diseases

and the mean number of medications used by patients in different disease groups and drug groups with various drugs was more than 7. Except for the osteoporosis disease group（56.04%

181/323）

the prevalence of polypharmacy used by patients in other groups was >70%

and the phenomenon of polypharmacy was prevalent for each common chronic disease and its commonly used therapeutic drugs. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of comorbidity and polypharmacy in the elderly is serious

and outpatient prescription intervention cannot effectively solve the problem of polypharmacy

and it is necessary to formulate the medication reconciliation strategy suitable for the elderly.