A new guide aimed at helping primary care organisations and integrated care boards understand and address problematic polypharmacy has been launched by the Health Innovation Network as part of our national Polypharmacy Programme. 

Developed in response to a clear need identified by primary care and prescribing colleagues, this essential resource provides practical, evidence-based strategies to help organisations and healthcare professionals help to reduce overprescribing and improve patient outcomes. 

With the government and the NHS prioritising prevention and moving care from hospitals to communities, tackling polypharmacy is a key approach to encouraging safer, more effective medication use, especially in our older population. 

The new guide offers simple yet impactful solutions to optimise prescribing practices, supporting integrated care boards (ICBs), primary care networks (PCNs) and GP practices in organising their teams and improving the quality of structured medication reviews. 

The growing challenge of polypharmacy 

• In England, over 1 billion items are prescribed every year in primary care and over 1 million people in this country take 10 or more medicines for their long-term conditions. Almost half of these patients are aged 75 and over. 
• Taking 10 or more medicines, especially in later life, increases the risk of medication-related harm. 
• Problematic polypharmacy affects millions of people across England, contributing to hospital admissions and avoidable adverse drug reactions. 
• 16.5% of unplanned hospital admissions in adults are due to adverse drug reactions, with polypharmacy being a major driver. One study estimates the annual cost of this to the NHS in England as £2.21 billion. 
• As more people live longer with multiple long-term conditions, this issue is a real and growing challenge for the NHS. 
• Supporting patients to explore their use of multiple medicines with their healthcare professionals will support the shift to a more preventative, holistic and community-based model of care. 

Find out more about our Polypharmacy programme in the East Midlands.

Download translated audio and printed resources to invite patients to attend a structured medication review and prepare for it.