Polypharmacy Education Session 24/25

Overprescribing, the use of a medicine where there is a better non-medicine alternative, or where the use is inappropriate for that patient’s circumstances or is inconsistent with their wishes and can lead to problematic polypharmacy (a person’s concurrent use of multiple medicines).

Polypharmacy may be appropriate for a person with complex or multiple conditions if their medicines are optimised and prescribed according to best evidence. However, it can be problematic when the benefit of the individual medicines is not realised.

Structured medication reviews (SMRs) can be used to review patients identified as having problematic polypharmacy. They provide a comprehensive and clinical review of a patient’s medicines and detailed aspects of their health and are facilitated by shared decision-making conversations with patients around whether medicines are safe, effective and personalised to their needs and current situation.

This will also support PCN DES for 24/25 and the education component linked with the NCL PQS 24 25.

Polypharmacy is also one of the five NCL priorities selected from the  NHSE national priorities for 23 24

 Guest speakers include:

• Dr Clifford Lisk, Consultant Physician in Acute Medicine and Geriatric Medicine, Barnet Hospital, Royal Free Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Deputy Head of London School of Medicine and the Medical Specialties, NHSE; Honorary Clinical Associate Professor, UCL Medical School

• Dr Mark Rawle, Consultant Physician in Acute Medicine and Geriatric Medicine, Barnet Hospital, Royal Free Hospitals NHS Foundation

• Sagal Hashi, Lead Pharmacist Medicines Optimisation North East London ICB

Colleagues are strongly encouraged to attend the session which will also be recorded.

There will be an opportunity for Q&As.