Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Approximately one-in-three older adults in Canada are prescribed a medication that has a greater potential to cause harm than benefit. In 2012, potentially inappropriate medications cost Canada $419M via direct medication costs and over $1.4B in indirect costs from treating harms such as falls, fractures and hospitalizations. We conducted two reviews of international health policies that support the reduction of inappropriate medication use, particularly for older adults. Policies identified fell into two broad categories, 1) policies that broadly support the appropriate use of medications, and 2) policies that target specific classes of potentially inappropriate medications. This presentation will highlight the key differences between the two distinct categories of policies. Using selected international policies as examples, the presentation will compare and contrast the policy's effectiveness by considering how it promotes behaviour change in the target audience. Furthermore, the presentation will explore the unintended consequences that can occur as a result of policy changes. Lastly, the presentation will propose how the lessons learned can be applied in future policies to improve appropriate medication use.