Your medicines should be reviewed regularly (usually once a year) to check that they are right for you.
When you are first prescribed a medicine, your doctor, pharmacist and/or nurse checks that it is the best medicine for you. However, things can change, for example:
• You might have developed a side effect from the medicine.
• Your health might have changed, such as developing a long-term condition.
• You might have started taking other additional medicines.
• The guidelines for treating your condition might have changed.
• You may be taking a large number of medications (known as “polypharmacy”).
• A medication you are on may be no longer essential for your health day to day.
All of these factors can affect whether a medicine remains the best choice for you.