Background
How do we define polypharmacy?
Benefits | Outcome |
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Improved disease management | Reduced risk of disease complications and mortality |
Optimised medicines management | Evidence based prescribing |
Harms | Consequences |
Increased drug interactions | Electrolyte disturbances; potentiation of drug effects |
Increased risk adverse drug outcomes | Patient morbidity and mortality |
Inappropriate prescribing and medication errors | Unscheduled contacts with healthcare providers |
Lack of monitoring | Safety risks to patients |
Risks from polypharmacy
High risk groups
Identifying patients with polypharmacy
Managing polypharmacy in patients with multimorbidity
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how the person’s health conditions and their treatments interact and how this affects quality of life
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the person’s individual needs, preferences for treatments, health priorities, lifestyle and goals
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the benefits and risks of following recommendations from guidance on single health conditions
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improving quality of life by reducing treatment burden, adverse events, and episodes of unplanned care
Risk prediction tools
Evidence base on optimising prescribing
Optimising the use of medicines
Vulnerable populations
Artificial intelligence and cognitive computing
Medicine reconciliation
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Ensuring that discharge arrangements are discussed with patients, family members and carers; and that they are given a copy of the discharge summary.
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Adequate coordination between the hospital, community health services, general practices, and the providers of social care services.
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There is a follow-up after discharge of patients at high risk of complications or readmission - either in person or by telephone - to ensure that the discharge arrangements are working well.
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Medicines reconciliation is carried out. This is the process of verifying patient medication lists at a point-of-care transition, such as hospital discharge, to identify which medications have been added, discontinued, or changed from pre-admission medication lists.
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Ensuring that any outstanding test results at discharge are obtained and passed on to primary care teams; and ensuring there are clear arrangements for carrying out and acting on any proposed post-discharge tests.