Clinics and Practice
Telemedicine-Enabled Medication Optimization for Adults with Polypharmacy: A Systematic Review and Implications for Saudi Vision 2030 Healthcare Transformation
By Bobakr Bawazir, Yaslam Ba Srada, Saad Aghi and 5 others.
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Polypharmacy may increase the risk of medication discrepancies, drug–drug interactions, potentially inappropriate prescribing, nonadherence, adverse drug events, and avoidable healthcare use. Telemedicine may improve access to medication review, particularly for older adults, people with multimorbidity, and geographically underserved populations. This review evaluated the effectiveness, safety, acceptability, and implementation requirements of telemedicine-enabled medication optimization and considered implications for Saudi Vision 2030.
Methods
This PRISMA 2020 systematic review searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Europe PMC, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to 30 June 2026. Eligible studies evaluated telemedicine-supported medication reconciliation, medication therapy management, deprescribing, adherence support, or clinical-pharmacy consultation in adults with polypharmacy or explicitly defined high medication risk. Two reviewers independently screened records and extracted data. Clinical and methodological heterogeneity required narrative synthesis.