Deprescribing

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What is deprescribing?

Deprescribing is the process of reducing or stopping medications that may not be needed, may not work well, or may not be a good fit for an individual. This process is used to improve quality of life and reduce the number of medications.

Resources

  1. Farrell B. Part I: Interactive case: Rational deprescribing of benzodiazepine receptor agonists for insomnia. J Am Coll Clin Pharm. 2022 Mar;5(3):370-376. Wiley; 2022 Mar. DOI: 10.1002/jac5.1612.
  2. Garfinkel D, Mangin D. Feasibility Study of a Systematic Approach for Discontinuation of Multiple Medications in Older Adults. Arch Intern Med. 2010 Oct 11;170(18). American Medical Association (AMA); 2010 Oct 11. DOI: 10.1001/archinternmed.2010.355.
  3. Hilmer S, Gnjidic D. The Effects of Polypharmacy in Older Adults. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2009 Jan;85(1):86-88. Wiley; 2009 Jan. DOI: 10.1038/clpt.2008.224.
  4. Scott IA, Gray LC, Martin JH, Pillans PI, Mitchell CA. Deciding when to stop: towards evidence-based deprescribing of drugs in older populations. Evid Based Med. 2013 Aug;18(4):121-124. BMJ; 2013 Aug. DOI: 10.1136/eb-2012-100930.
  5. Steinman MA. Polypharmacy and the Balance of Medication Benefits and Risks. Am J Geriatric Pharmacother. 2007 Dec;5(4):314-316. Elsevier BV; 2007 Dec. DOI: 10.1016/j.amjopharm.2007.12.009.
  6. Thompson W, Farrell B. Deprescribing: What Is It and What Does the Evidence Tell Us?. CJHP. 2013 Jun 28;66(3). Canadian Society of Healthcare-Systems Pharmacy; 2013 Jun 28. DOI: 10.4212/cjhp.v66i3.1261.