Prescription drugs are pretty awesome. They improve lives all the time. But it is possible to take too many. Over time, as patients are prescribed more an more ongoing medications, it's a good idea to sometimes step back, evaluate, and think about whether people can drop some of their long-term meds. Between interactions and long term side effects, sometimes less is more when it comes to medicating patients. Try out our sponsor, Squarespace and get a discount when you mention us! http://www.squarespace.com/triage This episode was adapted from a column Austin Frakt wrote for the Upshot. Links to sources and further reading can be found there: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/10/upshot/how-many-pills-are-too-many.html Try our sponsor, Squarespace! http://www.squarespace.com/triage John Green -- Executive Producer Stan Muller -- Director, Producer Aaron Carroll -- Writer Mark Olsen – Graphics Meredith Danko – Social Media http://www.twitter.com/aaronecarroll http://www.twitter.com/crashcoursestan http://www.twitter.com/johngreen http://www.twitter.com/olsenvideo And the housekeeping: 1) You can support Healthcare Triage on Patreon: http://vid.io/xqXr Every little bit helps make the show better! 2) Check out our Facebook page: http://goo.gl/LnOq5z 3) We still have merchandise available at http://www.hctmerch.com