Medicine safety & optimisation

Polypharmacy

Senior man is looking for information about the medicine over the Internet. He is holding a medicine in one hand

As more people live longer with multiple long-term health conditions, the number of medicines they take often increases. Managing multiple medicine regimes can create a significant burden for the patient and it may cause them harm. More broadly, problematic polypharmacy can be costly for the healthcare system, and wasted medicines have a negative impact on the environment.

I will focus more on shared decision making for more efficient outcomes for patients and will look at the resources and de-prescribing algorithms provided during the session and will put them into practice. I have been hesitant on approaching de-prescribing due to confidence but will start with few medication groups and continue to build on it.

Polypharmacy local training participant.

The Health Innovation Network national polypharmacy programme is creating clinical, multi-stakeholder communities of practice across England, focusing on problematic polypharmacy within local areas.

In Kent Surrey and Sussex, we are working with ICSs and ICBs to deliver the three areas of the national polypharmacy programme, including:

1) Identifying patients most at risk

National learning events for healthcare professionals, focusing on using data to identify patients at risk and offer Structured Medication Reviews.

2) Education and training

Delivery of Polypharmacy Action Learning Sets (ALSs), local communities of practice and masterclasses to upskill the primary care workforce to be more confident about stopping unnecessary medicines.

3) Supporting Structured Medication Reviews

A suite of resources for patients and their practitioners focusing on increasing understanding of Structured Medication Reviews and supporting open conversations about medicines.

Statistics

Between 2022 - 24:

Target

460

participants attended 10 Communities of Practice held across KSS

5

local stakeholders were sponsored to become polypharmacy trainers by attending national evidence-based polypharmacy Action Learning Sets (ALS).

320

people attended NHSBSA Polypharmacy Prescribing Comparators Webinars in KSS between April 2022 – June 2024

82

delegates took part in ALS in KSS between April 2022 – March 2024

Events

We deliver a series of free national education and training events, including Action Learning Sets, masterclasses and webinars.

Resources

Structured Medication Reviews

A range of evidence-based resources to support and help prepare people who have been invited for a Structured Medication Review with their GP, pharmacist or other healthcare professional.

Link

Recording: Polypharmacy lunchtime masterclass: prescribing safely in older people

May 2024

Link

Recording: Polypharmacy lunchtime masterclass: stopping antidepressants safely

June 2024

Link

Recording: Polypharmacy: Supporting patients to get the most out of their structured medication review

July 2024

Link

Recording: NHS BSA Understanding the Data Webinar

November 2023

Link

National Polypharmacy QI poster library

Specific examples of these from the KSS region cover areas such as Proton Pump Inhibitors, Anticholinergics, Anticoagulants and improving medication reviews in older patients at risk of falls due to medicines causing low BP. M

Link

Recording: Polypharmacy Lunchtime Masterclass: Medicines and the risk of falls in older people

October 2024

Link

Contact us

If you’d like to find out more about Polypharmacy or any of our other medicine safety and optimisation programmes, get in touch.

Get in touch