Polypharmacy: Doing the right thing for older people is difficult

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Older People

Polypharmacy: Doing the right thing for older people is difficult

19 July 2023

Ngaire Kerse

Wednesday 19 July 2023, 12:25 AM

The trick with polypharmacy is to keep juggling, but never forget the person at the centre of the juggle [Image: Yi Liu on Unsplash]

Specialist GP Ngaire Kerse discusses new criteria that can be used to identify older patients with polypharmacy at the highest risk of avoidable medication-related harm

Key points, Recent research identified 61 New Zealand-specific potentially inappropriate medication indicators for older adults with polypharmacy, which experts r, Pract Green w Pale Yellow

Liu L, Harrison J. Development of explicit criteria identifying potentially inappropriate polypharmacy in older adults in New Zealand primary care: a mixed-methods study. J Prim Health Care 2023;15(1):38–47.

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