Leawood, KS - The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has announced a partnership with organizational consultant Marie Kondo in order to tackle inappropriate polypharmacy in older Americans.
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| AAFP "Declutter your Pillbox!" campaign spokesperson Marie Kondo, shown here with her two children that made the cut during the Winter Tidying of 2022 |
"Adults over the age 65 are more likely to have multiple medical conditions and one in three are taking five or more prescription medications every day," AAFP president Sterling N. Ransone explained. "More medications means a higher risk of side effects and unintended problems caused by interactions between drugs that are taken together."
Inappropriate polypharmacy, when a patient is taking excessive or unnecessary medications, can lead to falls, cognitive impairments, and interactions where a medication aimed at treating one condition might worsen another or even cause a new one. According to Marie Kondo, many patients are prescribed medications that don't align with the patient's life and health goals. "Ask yourself, does your prescription blood pressure medication spark joy? If not, ask your family doctor if it's truly needed."
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