Medicine safety & optimisation Polypharmacy 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: 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. NHSBSA Polypharmacy Prescribing Comparators: Getting the Balance Right To consider how best to understand and utilise available data, the Health Innovation Network and NHS Business Services Authority (BSA) are hosting a webinar. Event More Preparing patients for a Structured Medication Review Join us to hear from 2 KSS practices who have been using patient resources to support SMRs within seldom heard communities. Event More Polypharmacy and Learning Disabilities Lunchtime Masterclass Stopping over medication of people with a learning disability and autistic people (STOMP) and supporting treatment and appropriate medication in paediatrics (STAMP) are everyone's business. Event More Polypharmacy and Parkinson’s Lunchtime Masterclass Hear from Parkinson specialists about problematic polypharmacy in people with Parkinson’s Disease. Event More Polypharmacy Action Learning Set Cohort 23 23 April, 7 May, 21 May 2025. We are inviting GPs and Prescribers with minimum of 12 months experience to join our Polypharmacy Action Learning Sets. Event More ← → 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