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Polypharmacy
Lauren Koch
Am I taking too many medications?
Each year in Australia, there are approximately 250, 000 hospital admissions that are directly linked to medication-related issues. Many of these issues are considered to be preventable. At Growlife Medical, we want to ensure our patients achieve the best possible outcomes from their medications.
The term ‘polypharmacy’ refers to a situation where a person is prescribed multiple (poly-) medications, and is usually defined as more than 5 different medications at any one time. In this instance, the term ‘medications’ also includes inhalers, creams and even vitamins and herbal supplements! For people living with one or more conditions, it is very easy to reach this number of medications. With a higher number of medications, comes a higher chance of medication-related problems. These problems may include side effects, interactions between different medications, or difficulties using the medications each day.
Are My Medications making me tired?
All medicines have pros and cons, which may be thought of as risks and benefits. Your GP or specialist will have considered these when the medication was first started, and should have involved you in this decision at that time. However, chronic medical conditions often require more than one medicine to keep them under control, and when adding the process of time, more medical conditions, hospital admissions, multiple doctors and pharmacists, it can mean that you may experience side effects. Fatigue is common, along with many others.
When things get complex with your medications, or you don’t feel 100%, it is a good idea to have a thorough check for things like:
- Am I taking the medications recommended for my condition?
- Does the list of medication I’m taking, match the list my GP thinks I’m taking, and match the list at my pharmacy?
- Are my medications conflicting with each other?
- Do I understand what all my medications do and how they work?
Are My Medications Making Me Sick?
Even the common side effects known to be caused by a medicine may only cause problems for a few people taking them. Sometimes, a new medication might be started for a new problem, when that problem is caused by a medicine you’re already taking. Rarely, serious problems like kidney or liver problems can be caused by medication or complementary therapies. Pharmacists are experts in assessing if your medication could be making you sick.
Making the most of your medications
Some things the pharmacist might be able to help you with:
- Teaching you about how to use a medical device – especially useful for inhalers for asthma and COPD
- Conducting a team meeting with all your healthcare providers – called a “case conference” - so that they can all agree on how best to help you manage your condition
- Visiting you at home to do a “home medicine review” to assess the complex issues described above.
Polypharmacy
For some people, using a high number of medicines each day is a necessary way to manage their conditions. There are many strategies that may be put in place to ensure medication-related problems are kept to a minimum.
In order to ensure that you are gaining the maximal benefit from your medicines, your GP may consult the services of an Accredited Pharmacist for a formal Home Medicines Review assessment. The Home Medicine Review scheme is funded by the Commonwealth Government for patients living in their home. There is no charge to you for a medication review.
Pharmacists are medication experts, and working in partnership with general practitioners, will aim to ensure any medication-related issues are identified and resolved. Sometimes, polypharmacy or medication-related issues are identified as part of a chronic disease plan, or a Senior Health Assessment.
You may ask your GP about this process at your next appointment.
What is a Home Medicine Review?
A Home Medicines review is an appointment where an accredited pharmacist checks the medicines someone is taking at their home.
If your general practitioner requests a referral for a Home Medicines review (HMR), you will be contacted by an accredited Pharmacist to arrange an appointment time. Growlife Medical is lucky to be part of a new initiative to have a pharmacist working alongside your GP as part of your healthcare team. We welcome pharmacist Lauren Koch
to the team. During the appointment, the pharmacist will ask to see your medicines, find out how you are using them, give you advice on the best way to store and administer the medicines, suggest ways to remember to take the right medicine at the right time, and suggest whether any medicines may need to be changed. The pharmacist will write a report and send this to the general practitioner. At your next appointment, the general practitioner will discuss this report with you, and together will create a ‘Medicines Management Plan’.
If your general practitioner refers you for an HMR, it is likely that they are looking to ensure you are gaining the full benefit from the medicines you are using. It is not because they think you are doing something wrong, or are not capable of handling your medications. Quite often, one of the findings of the review is that the patient is managing their medications well. Many people who have had the HMR service agree that the benefit makes this service worthwhile.
A person is eligible for a medication review once every 24 months.
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