Integrated strategies will work best

摘要

IN PRIMARY care, pharmacy interventions for older people on polypharmacy can reduce the number of medicines required, resolve pharmaceutical care issues and, in some cases, reduce prescribing costs. However, outcome data for pharmaceutical interventions (in primary and community care settings), in terms of reduced morbidity/mortality and even admissions avoidance is lacking. Medicines are the second highest expenditure in the NHS and optimising the use of medicines is key to maximising resources and improving patient outcomes. To deliver this a shift is needed from cost cutting exercises alone to more transformational changes to ensure medicines optimisation in the longer term.