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Heather Smith

@heathersmith.pharmsky.app
193 followers 160 following 4 posts

Consultant Pharmacist Older People Leeds and West Yorkshire ICB. Overprescribing lead for West Yorkshire. Optimising and researching medicines for older people. Own views.

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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A three-month combined psychological and physical intervention reduced controlled and non-controlled pain medication use at 6 months. After 6 months, controlled pain medication was the most important mediator of a reduction in falls. agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
CADeN | ReCAD @caden-recad.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Deprescribing diabetes meds doesn’t always go as planned. Join Sydney Saunders, primary care pharmacist at @novascotiahealth.bsky.social, Sept. 23, for @drug-evidence.bsky.social’s 10th Deprescribing Webinar “Less is S’more”—on monitoring, legacy ℞s & how to adapt if needed. 🔗 tinyurl.com/3zzmaywa
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CADeN | ReCAD @caden-recad.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
What makes a deprescribing recommendation more useful in practice? Join Shin Liau, PhD, from @monashuniversity.bsky.social on Oct. 1 to explore principles for integrating deprescribing into guidelines & strengthening recommendations. 🇦🇺 Hosted by @deprescribeau.bsky.social. 👉 tinyurl.com/m25yr3fw
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Cognitive Potentially Inappropriate Medications, Quality of Life, and Healthcare Use in Older Adults With Cognitive Disorders. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Off-Label Initiation of Gabapentin and Valproic Acid Among Long-Stay Nursing Home Residents With and Without Dementia. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Having a medication regimen with polypharmacy was associated with higher risk of mortality among older adults even after accounting for clinical factors and other types of higher-risk medication use. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Anticholinergic Medication Use in Veterans Affairs Long-Term Care Residents: Clinical Patterns and Opportunities for Deprescribing. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Royal College of Pharmacy @rc-pharm.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Discover how mentoring relationships work, the benefits involved, and how mentoring is a partnership in a conversation between a mentor and a mentee, new to the RCPharm Mentoring Programme. Listen now: courses.learning.rpharms.com/produc…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Interventions to Optimize Medication Management in Older Adults: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Approximately 10% of medication discontinuations for high-risk CNS-active medications were substituted with an alternative medication, of which one-quarter of substitutions were to potentially inappropriate medications. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
CADeN | ReCAD @caden-recad.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
💰 A new syst. review & meta-analysis finds that community-based deprescribing interventions reduce potentially inappropriate medication use and generate healthcare cost savings. However, considerable heterogeneity was observed across studies. 👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
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Reposted by Heather Smith
CADeN | ReCAD @caden-recad.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
New deprescribing resources to reduce fall risk, developed in collab. with the CDC, NCOA, and University of Washington researchers! Inspired by our EMPOWER brochures, these tools support clinician-patient conversations and safer use of meds that increase fall risk: preview.ncoa.org/article/depr...
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Reposted by Heather Smith
CADeN | ReCAD @caden-recad.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Some common meds make us more sensitive to heat, and can put us at risk of heat stroke and other heat-related illness 🥵☀️ Learn which meds make our bodies more sensitive to heat & how to stay cool on hot summer days: www.deprescribingnetwork.ca/blog/medicat... Share to keep your network informed!
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Interventions to Improve Clinician Implementation of and Patient Adherence to Recommendations on Geriatric Assessment and Management: A Scoping Review. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
The leading international clinical geriatric medicine journal @age-and-ageing.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
As temperatures rise, so too will heat-related harm unless we act decisively. A system under heat: care homes, frailty and climate vulnerability doi.org/10.1093/agei...
doi.org
A system under heat: care homes, frailty and climate vulnerability
The growing impact of climate change on health systems is no longer a distant concern but a present and escalating challenge. Nowhere is this more evident
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Minna Eii @minnaeii.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Pharmacy’s role in the climate change: Advancing sustainable practice and access to medicines us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Designing Consent Processes for Research With Older Adults Who May Lack Decisional Capacity: A Guide for Investigators. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Antidepressant Use Among US Nursing Home Residents With Dementia. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
CADeN | ReCAD @caden-recad.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Deprescribing psychotropics: a new meta-analysis finds a 57% reduction in fall risk among older adults following deprescribing interventions in hospital settings. In community, the quality of clinical support and monitoring were key determinants of effective fall reduction. 🔗 tinyurl.com/y54csdt
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Reposted by Heather Smith
CADeN | ReCAD @caden-recad.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
🎉 NEW statin deprescribing guidelines in older adults by @deprescribing.bsky.social! Find a complete toolkit with: • 2-page algorithm summary & 3 whiteboard videos • Patient education pamphlet • Plain language summary • Shared decision-making tools for effective deprescribing discussions 👇👇
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
QTc Interval Prolongation and Associated Drug Therapy in Hospitalized Older Adults. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Care patterns focusing on prevention and disease management, and continuity of primary care were associated with more favorable health outcomes among older people aiming to age in place. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Conducting Medication Reviews: A Comparative Study Between ChatGPT-4 and Healthcare Professionals. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
ARB-based antihypertensive therapy was associated with lower risks of mortality and cardiovascular events compared with CCB-based therapy in adults aged 75 years or older. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Understanding the Role of Communication in Deprescribing Behavior Change. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Burden and Risk Factors of CGM-Detected Hypoglycemia in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Royal College of Pharmacy @rc-pharm.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has today officially become the Royal College of Pharmacy, marking a historic milestone and the beginning of a new era of professional leadership and collaboration in pharmacy. Find out more: bit.ly/3O5t3EF
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Discontinuation of Medications With Limited Benefit at End of Life in Community-Dwelling Older Veterans. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
CADeN | ReCAD @caden-recad.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Medication side effects can be mistaken for new conditions, leading to prescribing cascades & polypharmacy. Carollo et al. identified 84 adverse drug reactions linked to cascades, an essential step to support the development of tools to help clinicians identify & manage them. 🔗 tinyurl.com/msb9jza7
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Reposted by Heather Smith
CADeN | ReCAD @caden-recad.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
💬 One conversation about meds can change everything. Check out this article to learn how pharmacist Ellen Penny at the Geriatric Medicine & Memory Disability Clinic in Sydney, Nova Scotia, is keeping her community healthy by helping older adults review their medications. 🔗 tinyurl.com/4e5nrknt
tinyurl.com
How one pharmacist is helping older adults stay healthy and live more independently | Nova Scotia Health
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Statin Therapy for Primary Prevention and Clinical Outcomes in Adults Aged 80 and Older. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Perennial Challenges With More-Than-Modest Deprescribing. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
British Geriatrics Society @gerisoc.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Yesterday, the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee published a report on palliative care. It is a missed opportunity to highlight the needs of the majority dying each year - older people. Read our full statement here: buff.ly/48v6hK2
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Reposted by Heather Smith
British Geriatrics Society @gerisoc.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
"Pragmatic prescribing to reduce harm for older people with moderate to severe frailty" aims to support prescribing decisions for older people with moderate to severe frailty. View our guidance document here: buff.ly/WofRdSe
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Reposted by Heather Smith
CADeN | ReCAD @caden-recad.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
🇨🇦 New national guidelines developed by CADeN to screen for potentially inappropriate prescriptions. Guidelines recommend: 1. regular med reviews for older adults taking any number of meds, and 2. government funding to encourage & support this process in primary care. 🔗 www.cfp.ca/content/72/3...
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Anticholinergic Medication Burden Scales: A Systematic Review. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
DIAMOND Research Programme @diamond-derx.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
📢️ Webinar Announcement 📢️​ We're marking Patient Safety Awareness Week 8-14th March 2026 with a special Teams webinar on Monday 9th March 2026 at 3pm: ​ “How can we harness existing data sources to maximise medication and patient safety?” 🗓️Register here: bit.ly/3Oa9haA
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Assessing Older Adults' Adherence to Appropriate Polypharmacy: Selection of Outcome Measures for Intervention Trials. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Health Care Use of Frail Older People: Follow-Up Outcome Evaluation of an Intensive Primary Care Programme at 24 and 36 Months. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Agreement between discharge summary, discharge instructions, and patient provided reasoning for chronic medication changes made during hospitalization. #geriatrics agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com…
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
Depression in older adults - resources. www.ccsmha.ca
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Reposted by Heather Smith
deprescribing.org @deprescribing.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
💡 Large retrospective study finds approximately 1 in 20 nursing home residents who start #gabapentinoids go on to receive a loop diuretic within 3 months. The study highlights the prevalence of an often overlooked prescribing cascade! Read the full article here: buff.ly/5u5O3qh
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Royal College of Pharmacy @rc-pharm.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
“Cutting medicines optimisation capacity is not a saving; it is a false economy that jeopardises patient outcomes and the resilience of the NHS,” says Tase Oputu, RPS England Board Chair, in response to Government approved cuts to headcounts in ICBs and NHS England: bit.ly/4nVXEjM
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CADeN | ReCAD @caden-recad.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
💊 5 Tips to Manage Polypharmacy: A toolkit co-developed by Canada’s Drug Agency, @ismpcanada.bsky.social & @deprescribing.bsky.social to help primary care providers identify and address polypharmacy with their patients. Download the toolkit here: www.cda-amc.ca/appropriate-...
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Lucy Pollock @lucypgeridoc.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Drum roll!! This is a very special document and will CHANGE PRACTICE www.bgs.org.uk/PragmaticPre...
bgs.org.uk
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Reposted by Heather Smith
Age UK @age-uk.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
📃 Today, we release our 2025 State of Health and Social Care Report. While more of us are living longer, on many other measures, we have gone backwards. To read our 5 key takeaways, and to download the full report, visit the Age UK website: bit.ly/4gHDMih
An older person looking out a window with a thoughtful expression, under the title 'The State of Health and Care of Older People in England 2025'.
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David Alldred @davidalldred.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Credit for these are down to the team - Dr Daisy Halligan, Hana Shamsan, Dr Alison Bravington, Prof Liz Breen, and Dr Hannah Hartley - in partnership with the residents, relatives, care home staff and healthcare professionals who co-designed them
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CADeN | ReCAD @caden-recad.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
People with dementia (PWD) are often overprescribed meds to manage comorbidities, behavioural symptoms & cognitive impairment. But deprescribing in PWD has unique challenges. Find a roadmap for deprescribing in PWD and communication strategies to support the process here: tinyurl.com/yc6kxx69
tinyurl.com
Deprescribing for People with Dementia: A Roadmap - Drugs & Aging
People with dementia (PWD) are frequently exposed to polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication use, in which the risks of medication use outweigh the benefits or the medication is not alig...
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Reposted by Heather Smith
The Q community @theqcommunity.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
Each year, £50 million of medicines are wasted in the care home pathway in England. Join us to learn some surprising insights and practical actions to address this. Book: q.health.org.uk/get-involved/events…
Medicines waste in the care home pathway: environmental and social impacts

12.00 - 13.00
24 July 2025
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Reposted by Heather Smith
@Newcastlepsrc @newcastlepsrc.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
🎉 Congrats to PhD student Lauren Lawson, who published in BMC Geriatrics! 📚 Her review, "Do hospital-to-home transitions work for older adults with multiple long-term conditions including dementia?" Great achievement! bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.... @medicalsciencesncl.bsky.social
bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com
Do hospital-to-home transitions work for older adults with multiple long-term conditions including dementia? A realist review - BMC Geriatrics
Background Hospital-to-home transitions involve multiple providers and are particularly complex for older adults with dementia, who often live with additional conditions. Frequent transitions increase...
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