Medicines optimisation in general practice: improving the delivery of structured medication reviews

Led by Nina Fudge

Nina is an applied health researcher, with a background in anthropology. Her research, funded by the THIS Institute, focuses on patients in situations of high-risk polypharmacy. These are people prescribed 10 or more different items of medication.  Sometimes polypharmacy is problematic. It can increase the risks of falls, hospitalisation, medication errors, and adverse drug reactions.  Some prescribed medicines are not needed, resulting in financial waste and environmental harm. 

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Nina is an applied health researcher, with a background in anthropology. Her research, funded by the THIS Institute, focuses on patients in situations of high-risk polypharmacy. These are people prescribed 10 or more different items of medication.  Sometimes polypharmacy is problematic. It can increase the risks of falls, hospitalisation, medication errors, and adverse drug reactions.  Some prescribed medicines are not needed, resulting in financial waste and environmental harm. 

Nina will undertake an Interpretive Policy Analysis (reviewing policy documents and interviewing stakeholders) to understand the policy imperative for medication reviews in the context of high-risk polypharmacy. Nina will then conduct a Video-Reflexive Ethnography. She will spend time in three GP practices in Tower Hamlets to find out what happens in practice. In collaboration with general practice staff, Nina will film medication reviews and play back clips from these videos to  staff and patients to enable them to:
  • discuss what happens in medication reviews
  • think about the work they do in a new light
  • develop delivery of medication reviews
  • improve the quality and safety of medicine prescribing.
Medication Review
funded by nihr - White
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