Korea's Hospital Polypharmacy Program Cuts 90-Day Readmissions in Elders
For pharmacists managing complex, high-risk medication regimens in hospitalized older adults, this national program shows that multidisciplinary inpatient medication reconciliation and deprescribing reduce readmissions and return nearly fourfold on payer investment.
Polypharmacy management slashes readmission rates and costs for older adults.
Polypharmacy is linked to negative outcomes in older adults, and managing it can reduce readmission rates and healthcare costs. The polypharmacy management program lowered 90-day readmission risk (adjusted hazard ratio 0.85) and reduced hospitalization costs (USD$6400 vs USD$6740, P = 0.005). Despite the lack of randomization, propensity score matching strengthens the findings, suggesting potential for broader implementation in healthcare systems. Korea's polypharmacy management program significantly reduced readmissions and healthcare costs for older adults.
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Authors:Jang S, Lim J, Moon A, Lee JY, Ah YM, Lee HJ, Lee SY, Kim JH, Jang S
Citation:Jang S, Lim J, Moon A, et al. Clinical and Economic Outcomes of Korea's National Polypharmacy Management Program for Hospitalized Older Adults: 90-Day Readmission and Healthcare Costs. Drugs & aging. 2026. doi:10.1007/s40266-026-01325-6
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Executive Summary
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