Optimising Medications - Reducing Inappropriate Polypharmacy and Enhancing Patient Care

11.15 - 12.30

The impact of polypharmacy coupled with an increasingly frail and older population living with multiple co-morbidities and resultant complex care needs is widely acknowledged. A local day of care audit demonstrated that 45% of all acute admissions had one, or more medicines contributing to their hospital presentation. Increasing frailty is a driver for optimising medications. Medication reviews undertaken within our acute frailty team provide an opportunity for shared decision-making, person-centred care and reducing inappropriate polypharmacy.