Description
As part of the MAIA consortium, CATAG has developed the MAIA Cumulative medicines toolkit to assist Medicines and Therapeutic Advisory Committees promote strategies to implement medicines stewardship programs to identify people at “hidden risk” of cumulative medicines toxicity and promote deprescribing where it is safe and appropriate. This toolkit consists of:
- Cumulative medicines practice tool for Medicines and Therapeutics Advisory Committees
- Cumulative medicines teaching tool for educators
Key messages:
- The use of multiple medicines carries a potential hidden risk of cumulative toxicity and increased risk of adverse effects. These risks may not always be identified without formal assessment, especially during short-term acute care scenarios.
- Hospital practice and discharge communications significantly impacts the long-term management of people’s health.
- Cumulative medicines risk should be assessed at transitions of care, including admission, transfer, and discharge, and with any significant change in a person’s circumstances.
- Medicines and Therapeutics Advisory Committees should promote polypharmacy stewardship programs within hospitals.
- Medicines and Therapeutics Advisory Committees should encourage medicines review and appropriate deprescribing as an active constituent of hospital care, particularly at transitions of care or with any significant change in individual circumstances.