Let’s talk differently about medicines
Helping those in receipt of multiple medications to have better conversations with their GP’s about the medicines they take.
Older people often need to take many medicines, which can increase problems like falls, hospital visits, and side effects. Managing multiple medications can be challenging, but with the right support can help improve your health and wellbeing.
The challenge
Polypharmacy is an escalating global safety concern. The National Overprescribing Review (2021) identified polypharmacy as a priority policy area. The NHS launched a programme (2022) to address polypharmacy with a specific aim of supporting ‘better conversations’ about medicines to improve shared decision-making.
Polypharmacy is an umbrella term to describe the simultaneous use of multiple medicines by a patient for their conditions.
Wikipedia
Testing a solution
We are testing a community-based intervention called ‘Let’s Talk Differently about Medicines’. It is a research-informed collection of seven illustrated fictional story-
booklets, with discussion points/website/audiobooks. The resource features patients’ lived experience, was co-produced with patients and was refined through user-testing.
With funding from Queen Mary Impact Fund, our programme of work includes facilitated storytelling workshops, rigorous evaluation, development of a facilitator pack and ongoing measurement tools (including digital footprint) to capture and promote national scale up. The impact we seek is to empower older people to engage in better conversations that foster reduction in the burden of treatment.
What could success look like
Health impact
- Better, more meaningful conversations between patients, family, carers, clinicians enabling:
- reduced medication burden
- achievement of patients’ health goals
- fewer drug-drug interactions and adverse effects (e.g., falls, hospital
- admissions)
- Lower prevalence of ‘higher risk’ polypharmacy promoting more health (with less medicine)
- Inclusion of facilitated peer-supported story-sharing within mainstream care, to support older patients, carers and clinicians preparing for medication reviews.
Social Impact
- Greater public awareness of polypharmacy as a safety issue
- A public more able to articulate concerns about overprescribing and problematic polypharmacy
- Creation of a social venture aimed at reducing harm from medical overuse and supporting a more sustainable NHS
Policy Impact
- Inclusion of the resources (extended into a well-crafted implementable
- programme with facilitator tools) within national/international programmes addressing polypharmacy.
- Reduce public expenditure on medicines and medicines-related labour when medicines are not wanted/not needed/putting patients at risk
- Reducing overprescribing and waste to achieve a greener, more sustainable NHS
Get involved
If you’re interested in joining a storytelling workshop and sharing your feedback on these stories please complete this form and we will be in touch with more information.
If you’re interested in rolling out a similar initiative and would like to hear more about our learnings from the programme, get in touch.
