Getting to grips with multimorbidity and polypharmacy for older people

Dr Kevin Mc Namara is a Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University’s School of Medicine and Centre for Population Health Research. He has a particularly interest in the implementation of models for chronic disease prevention and management, including the management of multimorbidity. His paper, Health professional perspectives on the management of multimorbidity and polypharmacy for older patients in Australia, has been published in Age and Ageing.

Researchers from Australia offer some valuable insights about effective multidisciplinary care for older people who often have multiple health conditions (multimorbidity) and take multiple medications (polypharmacy). In ageing populations across the developed world, multimorbidity and polypharmacy pose unique and growing challenges for health professionals and systems. Treatments and goals for different health conditions are often not compatible, guideline recommendations may not be feasible, the evidence often lacking for older adults, and health systems are not designed to coordinate the activities of multiple health professionals often involved with care.