Rationalising Medicines

Wouldn’t it be great to take less pills? We spend much of our lives picking up new medicines for a growing list of medical problems. As we get older, some of these medications may cause us harm as our bodies process them differently or we have changed, meaning we may not need the same doses or even the medication at all. This concept is known as polypharmacy and deprescribing.

Sometimes the pills we take may react with each other. These drug interactions are more likely with the increasing number of medications older persons may be taking. Drug interactions also occur with some over the counter medications, common ones being St John’s wort, antihistamines, liquorice and antacids. The most commonly prescribed drug class in Australia, the Proton pump inhibitors works to stop you getting reflux symptoms or heartburn. These drugs make it harder for your body to absorb iron and we frequently see patients developing an iron deficiency anaemia on these medications. Understanding these reactions and interactions go beyond simply looking up whether there are problems or interactions with the medications a person may take, it is reasoning whether those medications are still needed in light of the priorities for the person taking them.