Klin Farmakol Farm. 2024;38(2):76-82 | DOI: 10.36290/far.2024.013

Polypharmacy: Prevention and management

Jozef Kolář, Dominik Grega, Lenka Smejkalová, Martina Šutorová, Tünde Ambrus
Masarykova univerzita, Farmaceutická fakulta, Ústav aplikované farmacie, Brno

Polypharmacy in the context of medicines means the prescription, dispensing, or use of multiple medications simultaneously. The correct characterization of a particular patient's prescription or use of a medicine allows the appropriate change to be chosen. Rational pharmacotherapy aims to minimize the medication-rela­ted burden, which requires controlled and often longer-lasting intervention and gradually implemented changes in the therapy of a particular patient based on individually assessed and identified drug-related problems. For example, deprescribing options can reduce inappropriate polypharmacy by targeting medi­cines that occur in prescribing cascades and using comprehensive approaches and concepts. The paper presents the prescribing cascades and the possibilities of their solution within the framework of pharmacotherapy optimization, characterizing the concepts and campaigns "Less is More", "Choose Wisely", and "Patient pathway". The recommendations and warnings formulated within these concepts and campaigns aim to focus the attention of healthcare professionals on the importance of evaluating and considering the necessity of their interventions. They should prioritize value-based care and avoid overloading patients with diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Keywords: polypharmacy, prescribing cascade, deprescription, optimizing medication use.

Accepted: June 28, 2024; Published: July 15, 2024  Show citation

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Kolář J, Grega D, Smejkalová L, Šutorová M, Ambrus T. Polypharmacy: Prevention and management. Klin Farmakol Farm. 2024;38(2):76-82. doi: 10.36290/far.2024.013.
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