For older people and frail people, the long-term benefit of medicines reduces and the potential for harm from adverse effects increases. When the benefit–risk balance changes in this way, medicine review and optimisation are important to simplify the therapeutic regimen, reduce inappropriate medicines and minimise risks. In this article, pharmacist prescriber Linda Bryant uses two case studies to illustrate important considerations during medicine reviews
Funding awarded by College of GPs for research into general practice
Funding awarded by College of GPs for research into general practice

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners has awarded $13,478 today to research that benefits general practice.
The College received eight applications for the first funding round of the year and awarded funding to one applicant, Dr Mona Jeffreys. Dr Jeffreys has been funded for a research assistant for her research that asks, ‘Do general practice capitation fees account for concentrations of complexity?’
The aim of her study, which she is doing through Victoria University of Wellington, is to measure primary health care use and funding in general practice, for practices with differing levels of high needs patients.
Dr Jeffreys intends to share her preliminary research at GP21, the College’s Conference for General Practice, which will run in Wellington in early August and will seek to publish her research in an international journal.
The committee saw Dr Jeffrey’s work having direct relevance to the ongoing discussions regarding a review of the funding of general practice.
This funding is awarded three times a year by the Research and Education Committee (REC).
The next REC funding round will open on 28 May 2021.