The Effectiveness and Barriers of Medicine Review in Managing Elderly Polypharmacy

Abstract

Polypharmacy is increasingly common among elderly population. While the use of multiple medications may be clinical unavoidable due to multiple health conditions, however, non-essential and inappropriate polypharmacy can increase the risk of poorer health outcomes such as medication-related complications. The following paper evaluates the effectiveness of medication review intervention in addressing polypharmacy in older population, especially on the reduction of the number of medications used, adverse events and health expenditure. The barriers that affect the effectiveness of medication review service. The findings demonstrate that by identifying the inappropriate medication therapies and provide improved medication plans, medication review service can help to reduce the number of medications that was used by the patient, medication-related side effects and expenditure on healthcare. However, the effectiveness of medication review is challenged by both patient’s health literacy and systemic barriers included time constrains and limited healthcare resources. Both factors could further compromise the effect of medication review in addressing polypharmacy. Consequently, it is clinical and practical essential to ensure that the use of multiple medications among elderly population are appropriate and clinical necessary, as this can help to improve the health outcome of the elderly patients and a more efficient allocation of the healthcare resources.