Polypharmacy and Policy
The incidence of PolyPharmacy, or the use of five or more medications on a daily basis, is common in the US particularly among the elderly population. It occurs for a variety of reasons, including the need to treat multiple conditions, the patient obtaining treatment from numerous physicians, and a lack of communication among those physicians about medications prescribed. PolyPharmacy increases the risk of adverse drug effects and increased costs to patients. Formulate a policy to reduce the practice of multiple drug prescriptions. What tools might be included in the design phase of the policy process to increase the probability of success? What research from other countries could be helpful in addressing this issue? Support your reasoning.
Textbook Readings
Read the following topics in Health Policy and Politics: A Nurse\'s Guide:
\"Policy Design\"
\"Policy Implementation\"
\"Program Evaluation\"
Journal Readings
Please retrieve and read the following Journal article from the University Library. Articles can be located through a search in the CINAHL database, OVID database, University Library (links to these are located under the Student Resources in Course Resources), or by using the link at the end of the reference if provided.
Yamashita, T., Carr, D. C., & Brown, J. S. (2014). Initial exploration of newly implemented public health policy using geographic information systems: The case of a U.S. Silver Alert program. Journal of Health & Human Services Administration, 37(3), 378–404.
