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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Andy HusbandORCiD, Dr Anna Robinson-BarellaORCiD
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Our population is ageing and with increased age, comes more frequent presentation of people living with multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs), who are likely to experience polypharmacy and the risk that accompanies taking multiple medications. These risks disproportionately affect the most socioeconomically deprived people in our communities, including those from minority ethnic groups, among whom the incidence of MLTCs is higher1 and acquired at an earlier age.2 Polypharmacy increases the prevalence of errors relating to the medicines use process, defined as including prescribing, dispensing, administration and monitoring of medication. Estimates in England report around 237 million medication errors per annum with avoidable errors costing around £98 million each year resulting in 1700 deaths.3 In the USA, around 7 million people per year are affected by medication errors at a cost of around US$21 billion.4 While not all of these errors are clinically significant, there remains a large burden of morbidity associated with medicines use resulting in annual global costs of around US$42 billion.5 Given the worldwide magnitude of this challenge, there is a need to consider realistic solutions, at scale, to reducing harm and costs associated with medicines use. These considerations should centre on proactive interventions targeted at the medicines use process, aiming to identify and support those people at highest clinical risk. Within a healthcare professional workforce, specially trained in safe and effective medicines use, pharmacists are ideally placed to do this, providing they are appropriately integrated into healthcare teams and crucially have access to clinical information systems to allow safe decisions to be made in response to medication reviews.
Author(s): Husband A, Robinson-Barella A
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: BMJ Quality and Safety
Year: 2024
Pages: Epub ahead of print
Online publication date: 30/08/2024
Acceptance date: 19/08/2024
ISSN (print): 2044-5415
ISSN (electronic): 2044-5423
Publisher: BMJ Group
URL: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2024-017740
DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2024-017740
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