Polypharmacy Guidance: appropriate prescribing, making medicines safe, effective and sustainable 2025 - 2028
1.Delivery of comprehensive 7-Steps Medication reviews
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Our Recommendations |
Strength of recommendation |
|---|---|
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1a. A structured medication review by pharmacists in primary care should be conducted at least annually. |
Strong recommendation |
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1b. Pharmacists should consider home visits for house bound individuals to reduce the potential for hoarding of medicines by people living at home. |
Strong recommendation |
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2. Home visits by pharmacists or GPs for house bound individuals may be effective in adjusting treatment plans and improving medication safety. |
Conditional recommendation |
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3. Medication review should be undertaken when a person is discharged from hospital. Medication treatment in a broader sense needs to adjust and align with treatment plans; which will include medication counselling; medication self-management; and securing medication safety. |
Strong recommendation |
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4. Medication review should follow a structured process such as the 7-Steps review process |
Strong recommendation |
The following revised case finding criteria are recommended to prioritise individuals for a polypharmacy medication review:
- Prescribed 10 or more medicines with a high-risk medication (this will identify those from deprived communities where the average age is lower when taking 10 or more medications)
- Adults aged 50 years and older and resident in a care home, regardless of the number of medicines prescribed
- Adults aged over 65 years, prioritising those living with frailty or anyone over 75 years
- Adults of any age, approaching the end of their life or receiving palliative care
- Those receiving care at home or hospital at home
- Those on high-risk medication (as defined by the Case Finding indicators), regardless of the number of medicines taken