Children and young people with life-limiting conditions (LLCs) are likely to require multiple medications that may change and increase as they get older and when they are unwell. Polypharmacy, which refers to taking several medications at the same time, is sometimes appropriate but may also occur when several clinicians are involved in a child’s care and when medications continue when they are no longer needed. Polypharmacy also increases the risk of medication errors and side effects, and causes difficulties for families as they manage complex medication schedules. Addressing what we call problematic polypharmacy is a priority.
Currently, we know very little about the medications that children with LLCs use and the problems associated with this, or about who reviews their medications and the difficulties families experience when managing multiple medications. This project will provide this information and inform development of future research to address problematic polypharmacy and improve health outcomes.