OBJECTIVES: Elderly people are likely to take several medicines at the same time (polypharmacy) which may carry the risk of adverse drug events and drug-drug interactions. The study aims to explore the prevalence and possible socioeconomic and institutional determinants of polypharmacy in the Austrian non-institutionalized population above 60. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the first wave of the European Health Interview Survey (2006/2007) for Austria were analysed through multivariate logistic regression analyses. Prescribed and non-prescribed medication was measured by self-reported consumption of groups of medicines in the last two weeks. Explanatory variables included socioeconomic factors (measured by education), institutional factors (measured by contacts with hospitals and physician practices), controlling for health needs factors and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: