A medication review, sometimes called a structured medication review, seeks to improve or optimise the impact of treatment. The review is undertaken in a systematic way by a competent healthcare professional e.g. GP, pharmacist or nurse. Any changes resulting from the review are agreed with the patient.

Who will be invited for a medication review?

Patients who may benefit from a structured medication review of their medicines are invited to talk about this with their healthcare professional. They might be asked because they are taking several medicines or are taking medicines for long‑term conditions. The review can help to identify any medicines that are no longer needed or any that need the dosage changed.

In a medication review the health professional and patient work as equal partners to understand the balance between the benefits and risks of and alternatives of taking medicines. The healthcare professional will listen to the patient's views and take these into account. They should also think about whether the person has had or has any risk factors for developing adverse drug reactions and whether any monitoring is needed.

People who live in care homes have their medicines reviewed by a team of people who look after their health and social care to check for any problems. The frequency of planned medication reviews should be recorded in the resident's care plan. The interval between medication reviews should be no more than 1 year.