OVERVIEW

Multi-ill elderly and polypharmacy - training for ST doctors is organized by Region Skane, Physicians' Institute for Professional Development in Healthcare / Lakarnas institut for professionell utveckling i sjukvarden (LIPUS) and will be held from Nov 27 - 29, 2023 at Höörs Gästgifwaregård, Hoor, Skane, Sweden.

Description:
Drug use by the elderly is extensive. From one point of view, this is reasonable because old age may bring more indications for drug treatment and that age in itself should not discriminate against effective therapy. In a number of reports, however, shortcomings have been demonstrated regarding both over- and under-treatment.

There are many examples of inappropriate dosage or treatment regimens and the use of potentially inappropriate preparations for the elderly is quite high. This is something that can pose a risk to the health of the elderly. According to the National Board of Health and Welfare's report on Drug-induced morbidity in the elderly, roughly eight percent of emergency admissions of the elderly to hospital are caused by drug side effects, and approximately 60 percent of them could have been prevented.

The phenomenon that it is easier to start treatment than to stop it has led to polypharmacy becoming a significant problem. Within Swedish healthcare, clinical management often takes place based on a disease-oriented approach, and guidelines or recommendations are usually adapted to this. However, the multi-illness elderly need an individualized geriatric perspective with a balance between treatment of different conditions and an ongoing weighing of the benefits of preventive drug treatment.

Additional details will be posted as soon as information is available.