title: Pharmaceutical strategies towards optimising polypharmacy in older people.
abstract: This paper focuses on the issue of polypharmacy in older people and potential pharmaceutical strategies to optimize the use of multiple medicines. Although polypharmacy has long been viewed negatively, increasing emphasis is being placed on the difference between appropriate and inappropriate polypharmacy. This is largely being driven by the increasing prevalence of multimorbidity and the use of evidence-based guidelines. In this paper, we outline a number of key considerations that are pertinent to optimizing polypharmacy, notably prescribing appropriate polypharmacy, pharmaceutical formulations, the involvement of older people in clinical trials and patient adherence.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK. Electronic address: c.hughes@qub.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Carmel M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: RCSI School of Pharmacy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: Cathal A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cadogan
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Patton
authors.affiliation: RCSI School of Pharmacy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: Cristín A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ryan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D055118:Medication Adherence; D018579:Patient Selection; D019338:Polypharmacy
keywords: Adherence; Clinical trials; Formulation; Older people; Polypharmacy; Prescribing