The prescriber's dilemma: differentiating between 'many medications' (appropriate polypharmacy) and 'too many medications' (inappropriate polypharmacy). Have you ever wondered if you were prescribing too many medications? Questioning if adding one more medication to "chase" this or that particular symptom of the moment is really beneficial for the patients' overall health and medication burden. What drug-drug interactions are lurking around the corner you did not count on or look for? This lecture will discuss how to to de-prescribe safely and effectively. Evaluate risk factors for at-risk populations, the elderly, lower-socioeconomic individuals, and children. Learn how to use a team approach, easing fears with psychopharmacological education and reassurances.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this session, participants should be able to:
Describe and identify polypharmacy with associated risks and benefits
Utilize pharmacokinetic principles to predict which medications present the biggest challenges to successful discontinuation
Apply clinical considerations of polypharmacy and pharmacological concepts to day-to-day patient care
