The Health Innovation Network Polypharmacy Programme is working with healthcare professionals to address problematic polypharmacy by supporting easier identification of patients at potential risk from harm from multiple medications.
Our evidence-based polypharmacy Action Learning Sets (ALS) are being rolled out across England to support GPs, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who undertake prescribing or medication reviews to understand the complex issues around stopping inappropriate medicines safely.
To drive and accelerate changes in practice, delegates complete a quality improvement project to address problematic polypharmacy in their workplace. These quality improvement poster summaries can be viewed in SlideShare via the links below, or downloaded directly from the Resources section to the right.
Addressing Problematic Polypharmacy: General
Addressing Problematics Polypharmacy: Care Homes
Addressing Problematic Polypharmacy and Health Inequalities
Addressing Anticholinergic Burden
If you would like further information about the Health Innovation Network Polypharmacy programme and the polypharmacy Action Learning Sets, please email weahsn.polypharmacyprogramme@nhs.net
Resources
Safe and appropriate prescribing of Gabapentoids
Optimising medications in frail patients to improve health outcomes
Review of gabapentinoid prescribing
Mental health polypharmacy in non-coded primary care patients
Reducing anticoagulant risk in patients with frailty in North West Surrey
When less is more: Deprescribing proton pump inhibitors
High dose Opiate Deprescribing in General Practice
Impact of pharmacist-led medication reviews on the frailty virtual ward (South East Essex)
Review of patients on high dose opioids at Living Well PCN
Mind over bladder - prevent harm associated with excessive or inappropriate anticholinergic burden
Polypharmacy - A Pharmacist Led Medication Review Clinic
Impact of DAMN drugs reviews in Dudley
Impact of an EMIS search to prioritise care home residents for a pharmacist led medication review
Structured medication reviews support
Improving Medication Reviews using the NO TEARS Tool
Review of ferrous sulphate prescribing
Incidental finding of importance of clinical coding
Polypharmacy reviews of asthma and COPD patients over 65 and on 10 or more medicines
Too much of a good thing - Deprescribing Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)
Assessing the outcomes of structured medication reviews
Reducing medication related falls risk in patients with severe frailty
Comprehensive and person-centred approach to addressing Polypharmacy in adult care home residents
Polypharmacy - focus ACB - care homes
Case Series - Structured Medication Review in Care Home Residents - Reducing the Burden
Identifying Orthostatic Hypotension caused by Medication
Audit of care home medication reviews
Reducing problematic polypharmacy in Haringey care homes
Harnessing Digital Tools in Medicines Optimisation to tackle Health Inequalities
Improving care in County Durham under the STOMP agenda - A 5 year review
To evaluate the benefits of Structured Medication Reviews in elderly Chinese patients
Re-establishing autonomy in elderly frail patients
Reducing polypharmacy and ACB scores - A multi-faceted approach for improved patient outcomes
Evaluation of the deprescribing of anticholinergic medications in dementia patients
Publications
