REPOSI 2015 - Targeting the burden of polypharmacy in the elderly

The considerable demographic changes that are occurring in populations in high- and middle-income countries across Europe are leading to a dramatic increase in the number of oldest elderly citizens (80+ years), who in the next 20-30 years are expected to represent 10% of the total continent population. This age group is likely to be affected by multiple chronic diseases, which will lead, almost inevitably, to the prescription of several drugs contemporarily and, thus, to a high risk of drug incompatibility that may have severe adverse effects. The purpose of this Seminar is to gather a number of European experts in order to evaluate the methods and procedures they have used in their clinical practice and research projects to improve multiple drug prescription. The objective is not only to decrease the risk of side effects of polypharmacy but also to improve quality of life and symptom relief in the elderly, i.e. the most important clinical outcomes in people with limited life expectancy. The Seminar’s scientific program will aim to define and categorise appropriate prescribing, to critically review the instruments currently available to measure polypharmacy and its effects, to discuss the effects of available optimisation strategies in the elderly and to suggest directions for future research and practice in the field of multimorbidity and related polypharmacy.