Polypharmacy and sustainable developmental goals: linking evidence-based medicine, patient engagement, and shared decision-making

Abstract

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an urgent call for action adopted by the United Nations to improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth. The SDG 3 objective of good health and well-being is fundamentally linked to patient safety. Medication safety is a crucial issue in the promotion of health and well-being, and polypharmacy management is a key challenge in medication safety. Inappropriate polypharmacy can increase adverse drug events and health expenditures and reduce patient quality of life. As such, polypharmacy is prominent among older adults with chronic kidney disease. Optimal medication practice requires a high level of evidence-based medicine that integrates both scientific best evidence and patient values and preferences through a shared decision-making process. This article reviews polypharmacy management based on patient engagement and shared decision-making.