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
No longer beyond the pale but residue of pseudoscience taints some therapies
No longer beyond the pale but residue of pseudoscience taints some therapies

CLOSER LOOK
Medical correspondent Jim Vause explains the differences across three popular manipulation therapies –chiropractic, osteopathy and physiotherapy – and checks the evidence
Kia ora and welcome to New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa
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Rubinstein SM, De Zoete A, Van Middelkoop M, et al. Benefits and harms of spinal manipulative therapy for the treatment of chronic low back pain: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ 2019;364:l689. Online 13 March 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30867144/
Guillaud A, Darbois N, Monvoisin R, et al. Reliability of diagnosis and clinical efficacy of visceral osteopathy: a systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med 2018;18:65. Online 17 February 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5816506/
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