Overprescribing Masterclass Bite Sized Event Series

Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria (HI NENC) are running Overprescribing Masterclasses as part of their delivery of the HI NENC Overprescribing Programme.

The Overprescribing Masterclasses aim to help GPs, Pharmacists and Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) carry out structured medication reviews and stop inappropriate medicines.

This is a series of 3 one-hour online Teams sessions held over a lunchtime period which are open to all staff that work to address overprescribing and problematic polypharmacy. There is no requirement to attend the sessions in order or attend all three although this is recommended.

Original Masterclass sessions

Part 1 – What is Polypharmacy/Overprescribing; why it is a problem?

In this session we explore why overprescribing is a problem and explore barriers to stopping medicines as well as the National and Strategic Policy context. We share how prescribing data can support us to identify and address priority areas and look to understand the patient’s perspective.

Thursday23rd October 2025, 12.30-1.30pm - Teams – Alison Hunter

OR

Wednesday 5th November 2025, 12.30-1.30pm - Teams – Alison Hunter

Part 2 – Shared Decision Making and Legalities to Consider

In the second session of the overprescribing masterclass series, we delve into shared decision making within multimorbidity and focus on the legalities to consider in practice. We’ll also start to introduce some of the resources and tools available to help you to help with medicines reviews

Wednesday 3rd December 2025, 12.30-1.30pm – Teams – Alison Hunter

OR

Tuesday 9th December 2025, 12 - 1pm – Teams - Kayleigh Davison

Part 3 – Geriatrician Session – Case Studies in Practice

In part 3 of the masterclass series, we invite a local Geriatrician to provide additional insight using example case studies and provide support where the attendees might have questions/queries around overprescribing. These insights are a key component in increasing clinician’s confidence to stop medicines safely in older people.

Wednesday 21st January 2026, 12.30-1.30pm – Teams - Dr Henry Woodford, Geriatrician

These sessions are clinician facing and are open to colleagues in the North East and North Cumbria area.

The local masterclass sessions will be run by a Senior Clinical Pharmacist, an accredited Polypharmacy Action Learning Set trainer.

Please register to attend using your employer email.

Overprescribing Masterclasses Series

Part 1 - What is Polypharmacy/Overprescribing; why it is a problem?

In this session we explore why overprescribing is a problem and explore barriers to stopping medicines as well as the National and Strategic Policy context. We share how prescribing data can support us to identify and address priority areas and look to understand the patient’s perspective.

Part 2 – Shared Decision Making and Legalities to Consider

In the second session of the overprescribing masterclass series, we delve into shared decision making within multimorbidity and focus on the legalities to consider in practice. We'll also start to introduce some of the resources and tools available to help you to help with medicines reviews.

Part 3 – Geriatrician Session – Case Studies in Practice

In part 3 of the masterclass series, we invite a local Geriatrician to provide additional insight using example case studies and provide support where the attendees might have questions/queries around overprescribing. These insights are a key component in increasing clinician’s confidence to stop medicines safely in older people.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Please do not hesitate to contact us in the event of any questions you may have at

medicinesoptimisation@healthinnovationnenc.org.uk