Polypharmacy Action Learning Set

The AHSN National Polypharmacy Programme: Getting the balance right invites GPs and Prescribers with minimum of 12 months experience to join our Polypharmacy Action Learning Sets (ALS)

The Polypharmacy ALS is an evidence-based learning model developed by Wessex AHSN in partnership with Health Education England. The aim is to help GPs, Pharmacists and other Healthcare Professionals who undertake prescribing, medication reviews and de-prescribing on a regular basis, to understand the complex issues surrounding stopping inappropriate medicines safely. They will also help PCNs deliver the Medicines Optimisation elements of the Directed Enhanced Services and Investment and Impact Fund contracts and meet recommendation 18 of the National Overprescribing Review report.

The course is three half day (2.5 hour) online interactive sessions over 2 months using zoom conference facilities:

Session 1: 9 November 22: Polypharmacy – the scale, impact and challenges around stopping medicines safely. We will define inappropriate medicines and look at the patient perspective.

Session 2: 23 November 22: What tools are available to help? We will explore shared decision making, the evidence and tools to help conduct high quality medication reviews.

Session 3: 7 December 22: Workshop and facilitated discussions with consultant geriatricians to share experience of medication reviews and consolidate learning.

In order for you to get the most from these sessions, we try to ensure a balance of professions among attendees and provide relevant, local polypharmacy data for you to review prior to attending the Polypharmacy ALS. To achieve this, we ask that you include your practice/PCN unique code/s on registration and confirm how long you have been a prescriber.

Before joining the ALS we ask you to indicate your level of proposed involvement. Please read and consider three Levels described below and indicate your choice on registration.

• Level 1: Attend the programme, complete all 3 days. Receive a certificate of completion and access to the resources website.
• Level 2: Level 1 plus review of prescribing data (from the NHS BSA polypharmacy prescribing comparators) as part of Day 1 and at the end of Day 3 identify an area of prescribing to focus on (e.g. anticholinergic burden). Structure project around this group of patients (to be worked on after Day 3).
• Level 3: Level 1 and 2 plus complete project and outline impact in a conference style poster to present at a Polypharmacy Community of Practice. Completion of this level will convey “polypharmacy ALS mastery status” and will qualify you to be a local Polypharmacy Champion able to deliver elements of the programme.

Please note:

• We review registrants to ensure you meet our delegate criteria prior to final confirmation of your place.
• Delegates are required to attend all 3 sessions and participate in an evaluation. Please note all three dates 9 November, 23 November & 7 December 2022: 9.30am – 12 noon. We will confirm your place via email.

For more information contact Amy Semple, National Polypharmacy Programme Manager a.semple@nhs.net