Medication Review for the 10-Minute Consultation: The NO TEARS Tool

Tessa L. Lewis, MD, General Practitioner, Carreg Wen Surgery, Church Road, Blaenavon, Torfaen, UK.

The NO TEARS structure can aid efficient medication review within a 10-minute consultation. It is a flexible system that can be tailored to the individual practitioner’s consultation style:
Need/indication
Open questions
Tests
Evidence
Adverse effects
Risk reduction
Simplification/switches

Key words: medication review, NO TEARS, primary care, older adults, polypharmacy.