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Frailty, polypharmacy, and the case for pragmatic prescribing in primary care

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Primary care clinicians are often caught between conflicting recommendations for clinical care. On one side, specialist guidelines and trial evidence urge intensive treatment, such as tight blood pressure control, aggressive lipid lowering, and comprehensive heart failure regimens, regardless of frailty. Others, such as the British Geriatrics Society’s 2025 guidance on pragmatic prescribing for people living with moderate or severe frailty, advocate shared decision making and less intensive treatment strategies for conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or heart failure.

Source: The Lancet Primary Care

DOI: 10.1016/j.lanprc.2026.100109

Authors: Peter Hanlon, Emma Wallace, Anthony J Avery, Kenneth Rockwood

Institutions: University of Glasgow, University College Cork, University of Nottingham, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Health Authority

Language: English

Topic: Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes

Subfield: Geriatrics and Gerontology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $6,680