Many people live with multiple long-term health conditions (MLTC), such as diabetes, heart problems and mental health illnesses. People living with MLTC may be more likely to have poor general health and a shortened life expectancy. To treat multiple conditions, people are often prescribed many different medicines together (known as ‘polypharmacy’.) Sometimes these medicines and their side effects can interact in unexpected ways, causing further health problems.

We aim to better understand the relationships between MLTC, polypharmacy, and personal/social factors to optimise treatment for individual patients. The project will focus on five different aspects of research, known as work packages (WPs), which are summarised in the sections to the left.