Managing Polypharmacy in the 15-Minute Office Visit

Demetra Antimisiaris; Timothy Cutler

doi:10.1016/j.pop.2017.04.003

Managing Polypharmacy in the 15-Minute Office Visit

Prim Care. 2017 Sep;44(3):413-428. doi: 10.1016/j.pop.2017.04.003.

Authors

Demetra Antimisiaris¹, Timothy Cutler²

Affiliations

¹ Pharmacy and Medication Management Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 501 East Broadway, Suite 240, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Louisville, 501 East Broadway, Suite 240, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Department of Family Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Louisville, 501 East Broadway, Suite 240, Louisville, KY 40202, USA. Electronic address: demetra.antimisiaris@louisville.edu.
² Department of Clinical Pharmacy, UCSF School of Pharmacy, 533 Parnassus Avenue U585, UCSF POBox 0622, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA.

PMID: 28797369
DOI: 10.1016/j.pop.2017.04.003

Abstract

Polypharmacy is an underappreciated factor in undesirable patient outcomes. In older adults, polypharmacy is considered a syndrome of harm and presents a challenge to primary care providers. The United States has one of the highest medication use rates per capita in the world. With the aging population, and polypharmacy a significant part of the lives of older adults, management of polypharmacy poses both a growing challenge and an opportunity for all health care providers. This article provides an overview of skills to improve medication use management in older adults living with polypharmacy.

Keywords: Beers criteria; Comprehensive medication management; Drug interactions; Geriatric syndromes; Medication reconciliation; Morisky scale; Polypharmacy; Potentially inappropriate medications.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Aged
Humans
Medication Reconciliation
Office Visits*
Polypharmacy*
Primary Health Care / methods