It's common for older adults to take multiple medications, whether they're for easing pain, lowering blood pressure or cholesterol or treating a chronic condition. Yet the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified concerns about polypharmacy â regularly taking five or more prescription drugs. Some prescriptions have side effects, such as dizziness, that can be particularly dangerous for older people; others pose a risk of drug interactions. Adding supplements or over-the-counter products to prevent COVID-19, or drugs to treat it, can compound the risks. A few months ago, pharmacist Nicole Brandt counseled a 74-year-old Maryland woman who had come to an outpatient clinic for a wellness checkup. Brandt is executive director of the Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging at the University of Maryland. Her patient had reason to be especially fearful of the pandemic: the woman had advanced kidney disease and was on dialysis. The woman mentioned that she had begun taking high-dose vitamin D because she heard it was protective against COVID-19.