RPS developing polypharmacy guidance
August 31 2017
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has commenced a year-long programme to develop guidance around polypharmacy.
It will be working with a range of stakeholders and has set up a multidisciplinary steering group which will include healthcare professionals and patients. It will also ask for input from royal colleges and professional bodies, expert and specialist groups, patients and practitioners.
Announcing the programme, the Society said that data from around the world “demonstrates that the number of medicines prescribed to individual patients has grown significantly over the last 10-15 years. As the population ages and many people take an increasing number of medicines for multiple long term conditions, polypharmacy has become a key issue in health and social care.”
In addition, it notes that many countries have developed strategies and guidance to address the problems caused by inappropriate polypharmacy, including in Scotland and Wales. “It is therefore right and timely that the Royal Pharmaceutical Society develops guidance for pharmacists, and others working with patients to review their medication needs, so that this work can be done in a patient-centred way using the best evidence and good practice that exists in this field.
“We aim, in the development of this guidance, to build on experience and expertise from across England, Scotland and Wales and complement existing guidance across Great Britain.” The Society intends to give regular updates as the work progresses, and will post the draft guidance online for open consultation and comment before being finalised.
Link:
RPS announcement