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This study was accomplished to obtain the basic materials about polypharmacy-related drug interaction and side effect. The polypharmacy in relation to the route of drug administration, dosage form, clinical department and age was surveyed with the 1,632 outpatients in Chonnam University Hospital at one day of January, March and May in 1991. On the route of drug administration, internal medicine occupied 81.2％, the combination of internal medicine ＆ external medicine 7.3％, external medicine 3.9％, injection 3.8％ and the combination of internal medicine ＆ injection 3.4％. On drug dosage form, internal medicine occupied 92.1％, injection 7.6％ and external medicine 11.6％. The case to use 4 drugs occupied the highest value of 26.2％ and the case to use 1 drug 8.4％. The highest number of used drug was 14 and 90％ of the patients used less than 6 drugs. The average number of used drug per patient was 4.2. The average number of used drug in ophthalmological department was the lowest value of 2.4, in surgical department 4.4, in internal medical department 4.7 and in neurological department the highest value of 5.7. The average number of used drug in infants and pediatrics was 2.8, in 15-20 year old youth 3.6, in 21-60 year old adults 4.3 and in above 61 year old geriatrics 4.7. As age increased, the number of used drug tended to increase.
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