Medication overload is an epidemic among older Americans. Every day, 750 Americans age 65 and over are hospitalized for a side effect caused by one more medications.
To eliminate medication overload, significant cultural, educational, and policy changes are needed. The Lown Institute has just released Eliminating Medication Overload: A National Action Plan, with recommendations for reducing medication overload across five categories:
- Implement “prescription checkups,” medication reviews that give patients and clinicians opportunities to deprescribe (discontinue or reduce the dose) appropriately.
- Raise awareness about medication overload among patients, clinicians, and the general public.
- Improve information at the point of care.
- Educate and train health professionals to recognize medication overload and deprescribe.
- Reduce pharmaceutical industry influence.
Read the full action plan for all of the recommendations, or check out their issue briefs that summarize each action plan category!
