Cristina Roure, Pharmacist and Vice President of Acadèmia de Ciències Mèdiques i de la Salut de Catalunya i de Baleares will explain a "deprescribing" project in her own hospital (Hospital de Terrassa). She also filled my desk with references that do no more than highlight the interest in combating, from the professional, clinical and pharmaceutical perspective, the polymedication of frail and elderly people. From all the references that I consulted, I have chosen a New Zealand-Australian source that I will summarize next.
In New Zealand it has been estimated that 30% of people over 74 take five or more drugs, and about 10% take 10 or more. The drugs, says the reviewed publication, are often prescribed by different specialists, each of whom has followed a specific clinical practice guide for a condition or illness. Let's exemplify with a 70 year old woman suffering three chronic diseases and a couple of risk factors. This woman could easily be taking 19 daily doses of 12 different drugs at 5 different times of day, with a chance of generating 10 or more interactions.
