International scientific symposium „How to reduce polypragmasy in the elderly? The answers provided by SIMPATHY project” was organized on 29^th May in Lodz to summarise the project results.

European societies, including Poland, are rapidly ageing. Multiple morbidity population is increasing with age and polypharmacotherapy, the use of multiple pharmaceuticals, is getting more common. Polypharmacotherapy can have serious consequences such as polypragmasy i.e. the application of multiple medications which do not enhance the therapeutic effect and increase the risk of drug-induced side effects. As a consequence, patients’ health status deteriorates, they have to be hospitalized and in extreme case, they die.

The magnitude of the problem made the European Commission initiate the action to design European strategy to improve polytherapy management and therapeutic compliance at older age. SIMPATHY project was financed within the framework of 3^rd Health Programme and its aim was to design comprehensive action to prevent polypragmasy and enhance therapeutic compliance in the elderly.

SIMPATHY project was run by Medical University of Lodz in 2015-2017. The Consortium which carried it out included 10 European countries but the project expanded into all EU states. MUL represented by the Department of Family Medicine headed by prof. Przemysław Kardas was the only Consortium member from Mid-East Europe.

The project resumé was presented at the symposium at MUL Rector’s Office where among the eminent guests there were : prof. Tomasz Kostka, MUL Vice Rector for Teaching, national consultant in geriatrics, who outlined the challenges for today’s geriatrics,  Prof. Przemysław Kardas, the head of the Department of Family Medicine, who reviewed SYMPATHY project outcomes, Marek Cytacki from the Patient Rights Office who indicated drug-related problems reported by seniors, Agnieszka Skowron PhD, the Head of the Department of Social Pharmacy, who led a discussion on the chances of polypragmasy reduction in Polish society, Krystyna Walendowicz, the director of the Regional Rehabilitation Hospital in Zakopane, who presented the polypragmasy limitation project carried out in her hospital, Paweł Lewek PhD, an assistant professor at the Department of Family Medicine, who developed the subject of polypragmasy and SIMPATHY project assumptions. Prof. Jiri Vlcek, the head of the Chair of Social and Clinical Pharmacy of Charles University in Prague, was a foreign guest who described active Czech pharmaceutical units based on cooperation between doctors and pharmacists.

The event was intended for both health care professionals and patients and the project largely raised the awareness of polypragmasy, specifically in seniors.

More on: www.simpathy.eu