Polypharmacy

Interventions by health staff can cut inappropriate prescribing, study finds

Healthcare professionals can reduce inappropriate prescribing of drugs in older people who are taking four or more medicines, finds a study published in BMJ Open.…

Deprescribing drugs for care home residents could improve quality of life

The use of multiple medicines is still a major problem in British care homes, from the impact on residents to the strain on NHS resources, but ‘deprescribing’ can mitigate these risks.…

Researchers boost hypertension treatment using unconventional approach

Using approved drugs in unconventional ways could help improve compliance in patients with hypertension, according to a study in The Journal of Clinical Hypertension.…

Pharmaceutical Care Award winners 2015 discuss their primary care project

The winners of the Pharmaceutical Care Award 2015 discuss their primary care project.…

Medicines management project wins Pharmaceutical Care Award 2015

Winning entry demonstrated the benefit of pharmacist input to GPs’ medicines reviews for older people.…

Pharmacist support ‘helps GPs reduce polypharmacy burden’

Medicines reviews performed by pharmacists in general practice help to reduce polypharmacy burden by 20%.…

Personalised medicines — creating ‘polypills’ in the local pharmacy

Patients require different combinations of drugs at different doses. Gino Martini explains how ‘polypills’ may enable patients to take one tablet containing the medicines and doses appropriate for them.…

Managing the risk of bleeding with new oral anticoagulants

Safeguarding patients against the risk of bleeding is a vital role for pharmacists when dealing with patients taking new oral anticoagulants.…

Holistic service from community pharmacists can reduce fall risk and improve patients’ quality of life

A holistic, community pharmacy-based medicines review service directed at older patients taking four or more medicines can improve quality of life, medicines adherence and reduce the risk of falls, suggests new research.…

Pharmacists in GP practices is a vital next step for the profession – but it’s not the only one we need

Opportunities for pharmacists to work within general practice teams will be an important new role for the profession, but integration with primary care needs to go further still, argues Elizabeth Butterfield, RPS English Pharmacy Board member.…