Polypharmacy featured on BBC’s Morning Live
Published: 22 January 2025
This news story was published when the organisation was the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
RPS Fellow Steve Williams appeared on BBC1’s Morning Live to discuss the challenges of polypharmacy — the use of multiple medicines by one person — and how to manage it effectively.
Taking multiple medications increases the risk of side effects, interactions, and patients can have difficulties in taking them correctly. Steve shared how regular medication reviews help patients and healthcare professionals navigate these challenges.
Our ‘Repeat Prescribing Toolkit‘, developed with the Royal College of GPs, is aimed to help reduce polypharmacy and reduce medicines waste. It helps GP practices and pharmacies improve medication reviews, patient involvement, and access to medicines. Find out more here.
Read our guidance on polypharmacy.
Watch Steve’s interview:
Read more RCPharm news stories.
Related news
Pharmacists must not be criminalised over puberty blocking hormones, warns RPS
This news story was published when the organisation was the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. In light of confirmation by Judicial Review that the emergency prohibition order for puberty blocking hormones remains valid, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society is concerned about the potential criminalisation of pharmacists who dispense these medicines and calling for patients to have timely access to specialist care pathways for support. The emergency prohibition makes it a criminal offence to supply puberty blockers outside the terms of the order. RPS is concerned this may inadvertently result in pharmacists declining to supply these medicines at all for fear of prosecution, which will negatively affect patient care. For example, these medicines can still be legitimately supplied to under 18s for very early onset of puberty (usually caused by another condition), to people under 18 with gender dysphoria already in treatment, and to people aged 18 and over. The order also criminalises pharmacists who unknowingly break the law through no fault of their own, such as when a patient misleads the pharmacist about their clinical condition, age or identity. The speed at which the ban was issued could also mean there are some pharmacists who are not yet aware of it and inadvertently dispense a prescription. Normally a ban has an advance ‘run-in’ period so healthcare professionals can be made aware of it and understand their responsibilities. The absence of advance notice means a prosecution could take place which would not be in the public interest. RPS has raised concerns about the potential criminalisation of pharmacists with the Department of Health and Social Care on behalf of the profession and civil servants recognise this risk. We urge the Government to consider a solution which protects patients but doesn’t unfairly criminalise pharmacists. It is helpful that the Judicial Review has shone a spotlight on the need to support children and young people who were prescribed puberty blockers prior to the banning order and are now struggling to access UK registered health services. It is challenging for pharmacy teams to support children and young people with gender incongruence and gender dysphoria due to the lack of comprehensive regulatory or clinical guidelines. This means there is often no easily accessible referral pathway* to link people to the treatment and care they need, including mental health support. In line with the Cass Review, RPS is calling on the Government to provide timely access to specialist care pathways to support patients who are awaiting consultation, or who cannot access medicines they were previously taking, so they receive the necessary care. Read our full position statement. *In England, Wales and Scotland, current NHS advice is for pharmacists to refer patients back to their GP. In England, GPs can then refer patients, if appropriate, to the National Referral Support Service for CYP Gender Services, where patients should be able to access to mental health support if they wish while waiting to be seen by the specialist service. In Scotland, patients can be referred to gender identity services by their GP. These services are located within NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, NHS Lothian, NHS Highland and NHS Grampian. Further information and contact details can be found on the National Gender Identity Clinical Network for Scotland website. In Wales, GPs can refer patients to the Welsh Gender service. These referral services all have extensive waiting lists. Read more RCPharm news stories.
New three-year goals launched to advance pharmacy services in Wales
This news story was published when the organisation was the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. New goals to transform pharmacy services across Wales over the next three years have been launched today, setting out the next steps in 'Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales', the long-term 2030 vision for maximising the expertise of pharmacy teams to improve patient care. Since the vision was first published in 2019, pharmacy teams have made remarkable progress despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. With investment and workforce development, patients now benefit from more clinical services closer to home, while the rollout of electronic prescribing is underway across all settings. The 2025–2028 goals build on this progress and were shaped through engagement with more than 500 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, support staff, students, patient representatives and healthcare partners. They focus on spreading and scaling services to ensure equitable access to care, wherever people live and however they access them. Priorities include embedding prevention and wellbeing, delivering electronic prescribing across Wales, and transforming aseptic services, starting with a new radiopharmacy facility in South East Wales. Other aims include increasing patient access to pharmacist independent prescribers, expanding the skill mix of pharmacy teams, and creating innovative career pathways that support multi-disciplinary care. Elen Jones, RPS Director for Wales, said: "This is an exciting moment for pharmacy as we begin another three-year commitment to transformation. The 2025–2028 goals take us closer to our 2030 vision, while recognising the pressures the workforce continues to face. Thanks to the passion and dedication of pharmacy teams across Wales, I am confident we are on track. "Progress has only been possible through the collective efforts of pharmacy teams and our partners. The PDaHW programme delivery board, supported by four themed subgroups, has driven momentum and kept goals in sharp focus. Their diverse membership has ensured our work reflects the needs of patients and the whole pharmacy workforce. "When barriers arise, these are escalated to the Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee, whose oversight ensures challenges are addressed and the voice of pharmacy is heard. I would also like to thank the RPS team for leading the development of this update, which captures the energy and commitment of colleagues right across Wales.” Read the new goals in Welsh. Read the new goals in English.