Polypharmacy and Deprescribing

“This worksession will provide an overview of the impact of medicines burden and current polypharmacy management guidelines”, says Helen Whiteside. “Participants will learn about the reasons behind polypharmacy, and identify the barriers and enablers to de-prescribing. We’ll use cases to focus on holistic medication review skills, and look at the opportunities for, and the practicalities of, de-prescribing presented to us in the NHS long term plan”

Helen is a Senior Clinical Pharmacist and Independent Prescriber in General Practice in Wakefield. She is currently receiving training as part of the NHSE national training pathway. In her face-to-face and over the phone disease-based, chronic pain and medication review (MR) clinics Helen works with patients to support them optimise their medicines.

Polypharmacy management and active deprescribing of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) is her area of expertise. Through shared decision-making Helen aims to reduce medicine-related harm and avoidable hospital admissions and their impact on patient morbidity and mortality especially in the frail and elderly population.

In recent years Helen worked to set up and deliver a CCG-led medicines optimisation service for care home residents using her wealth of experience as an older person, post stroke and geriatric orthopaedic care pharmacist in Leeds and Kingston-upon-Thames. She has also enjoyed roles in hospital medicines information and radiopharmacy services in Leeds.

Advanced practice level.