Polypharmacy: Getting our medicines right. My Medication Passport
- Mohammad Al-Ubaydli
The new UK Polypharmacy guidance demonstrates what good systems could (and should) have in place and how healthcare professionals can address the problems that can arise.Â
It is recognised that medicines have an enormous positive impact on the lives of millions of people; however, polypharmacy is a significant, complex and growing issue affecting many. Polypharmacy is often linked to the taking of multiple medicines in older people.This guide is intentionally aspirational. The best practice statements made in this guidance may not necessarily reflect the current arrangements in healthcare but aim to set out a picture of what good systems could (and should) have in place and how healthcare professionals could behave in order to address the problems that can arise from polypharmacy. PKB is highlighted as a tool to support patients in medication review consultations . My medication passport  is a written record of a patient's medicines. It is designed to improve communication between patients, carers and healthcare professionals and maintain a record of changes made to the patient's medication.