Running head: POLYPHARMACY IN PATIENT CARE 1

POLYPHARMACY IN PATIENT CARE 5

Polypharmacy in Patient Care

Introduction

Polypharmacy involves using at least five medications, a therapy commonly used in clinical settings to manage patients taking multiple medications. It is widely used among older adults and younger at-risk populations and increases the risk of adverse medical outcomes. Older adults are more likely to be prescribed multiple medications as they are at increased risk of multi-morbidity related to pathological and physiological changes. Several risk factors can result in polypharmacy, including patient-related factors such as multiple medical conditions managed by numerous specialist physicians, residing in a long-term care facility, and having chronic mental health conditions. System-level factors include automated refill services, poorly updated medical records, and prescribing to meet disease-specific quality metrics.

Important Content Areas of the In-service Presentation

The important areas include:

i. Comprehensive assessment of patient condition and prognosis, proper prescription, and ongoing monitoring to avoid complications.

The use of different medications for specific conditions or polypharmacy has different health outcomes for the patient. Considering this, medical practitioners should comprehensively assess the condition and prognosis. According to Halli-Tierney et al. (2019), it is essential to look into the risk factors of polypharmacy and avoid unnecessary prescriptions. Besides, they should follow the necessary steps every time a prescription is given. During administering a prescription, they need to consider the age and adjust the dose to avoid the development or damage of organs. Medical practitioners should also consider prior medications, ongoing monitoring, review, and follow-up to detect client-arising complications.

These considerations are helpful for medical practitioners as they promote appropriate patient assessment, prognosis, and prescriptions. Doing so reduces possible adverse effects such as organ damage, reduced quality of life, increased medical errors, poor medical care, and increased burden on the healthcare system (Halli-Tierney et al., 2019). It also promotes patients’ health, as practitioners can instantly report complications and allow prompt interventions.

ii. Ensuring benefits outweigh the risks

Polypharmacy results in adverse drug effects on the body’s pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic abnormalities in the elderly. Medical practitioners must consider the multiple prescriptions benefits and risks before administering them. Based on Varghese et al. (2022), some adverse effects could be severe, leading to renal failure, hypotension, loss of appetite, delirium, and diarrhea.

iii. Consider Important Lab Values

Medical practitioners need to consider essential laboratory values when making prescriptions. Some of the important laboratory values include albumin, which plays a role in the binding of drugs. Important values may help practitioners predict the medications that could lead to less severe adverse effects for those requiring polypharmacy prescriptions.

iv. Multidisciplinary Collaboration during Polypharmacy Prescriptions

Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential during polypharmacy prescriptions as it allows for complete assessment of patients on polypharmacy or on the patients requiring polypharmacy prescriptions. It facilitates a better understanding of how the high risk factors and age-related co-morbidities could favor certain polypharmacy prescriptions over others.

Conclusion

Polypharmacy is commonly used among the elderly population. Older adults are often prescribed multiple medications as they are at increased risk of multi-morbidity related to pathological and physiological changes. These various medications may lead to adverse medical outcomes. As a result, medical practitioners should ensure a comprehensive assessment of the patient condition and prognosis, proper prescription, and ongoing monitoring to avoid complications.

References

Halli-Tierney, A., Scarbrough, C., & Carroll, D. G. (2019). Polypharmacy: evaluating risks and deprescribing.  American family physician,  100(1), 32-38.https://www.aafp.org/afp/2019/0701/p32.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=transaction