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.