Australians Don't Like Polypharmacy, What About You?

Patients attending an ambulatory consulting service in Adelaide, Australia were queried regarding their feelings about stopping medications, and the results were reported in JAGS recently.  The subjects, age 71 on average, were taking an average of ten medications.  Most subjects thought they were taking a "large number" of medications and 92% said they'd be willing to stop one or more medication "if possible." Big shocker for Pallimed readers, I'm sure. Who wants to take ten medications? This survey included a geriatrics population and was published in a geriatrics journal.  But if you practice palliative care or see patients with limited prognoses, you should take heart in the notion of slashing medication lists, especially when you can see no clear indication for the medications.  I'm looking at you, primary and secondary preventative medications.  A few hypotheses for why it's so difficult for some physicians to discontinue medications: Inertia:  It's easier to continue with the status quo. It may require a discussion about overall prognosis:  "Wait a second, doc.  My doctors have been telling me for years to take that orange pill.  Are you sure it's OK to stop now?"  In other words, patients want to do the right thing, even if that means being burdened with taking a boatload of meds.  This is evidenced in the JAGS study by the fact that 71% of patients said they'd accept taking more medications, if necessar...
Source: Pallimed: A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog - Category: Palliative Carer Workers Authors: Source Type: blogs