English
polypharmacy
From poly- + pharmacy, after Ancient Greek πολυφάρμακος (poluphármakos).
Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- ‘to fill’
Proto-Indo-European *polh₁ús ‘much, many’
Ancient Greek πολύς ‘many, much’
English poly-
Ancient Greek φάρμακον ‘a drug, charm, enchantment’
…
Medieval Latin pharmacia
Old French farmacie ‘laxative’
Middle French pharmacie ‘the art of creating drugs’
Middle English pharmacy
English pharmacy
Today it means
noun The use of multiple drugs to treat multiple concurrent disorders in the same (now especially elderly) patient, chiefly with connotations of indiscriminate or excessive prescription (involving overmedication and overprescription).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / polypharmacy