The majority of nurse practitioners commit themselves daily to help provide compassionate and comprehensive healthcare that focuses on disease prevention and health promotion within a cost effective format. Our elders deserve the respect of appropriate and successful treatment and preventative measures to help reduce the risk of complications associated with polypharmacy. As such, the goal of policy aimed at reducing this practice tries to formulate a more active plan for keeping track of patient records and keeping costs of medications down in order to prevent patients from skipping doses (Lorenz, 2012). In order to provide effective policies and practices to reduce risks associated with polypharmacy, many organizations have turned to using computer-based recording as a way to help keep track of medications prescribed across specialist and doctors (Bushardt et al., 2008). Additionally, federal health care programs, like Medicare and Medicaid are working continuously to help improve policies and help make medication more affordable to patients, especially elderly patients who may misuse medications when they do not have the funds to purchase all of the dosages they may need (Bushardt et al., 2008). These organizations help keep the cost burden off of the patients, and help provide assistance in funding medications for those in need, so...

The Ohio Patient Safety Institute has helped develop a cost-effective program to help seniors understand the nature of their medications. This program is known as the Brown Bag Mediation Review, where "patients are asked to bring all their medications, including over-the-counter medications, vitamins, supplements and other botanicals, in for a review and discussion" (Lorenz, 2012). Workers in the organization help provide a plan for how and what to take that seniors can follow through on and adjust as a medication needs change. This has been effective because it does not need the dependence of having to rely on costly physicians to explain and educate patients, but rather can use volunteers and students in medical and nursing school to help spread education about polypharmacy without the high cost.