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Updated: Jun 7, 2026
05:10
Drug Repurposing Hypothesis Generation Using the "RE:fine Drugs" System
Published on: December 11, 2016
How is medication prescribing ceased? A systematic review.
Remo Ostini1, Claire Jackson, Desley Hegney
1School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.
Medical Care
|October 23, 2010
Summary
Effective strategies exist for stopping unnecessary medication prescribing, with patient involvement being a key factor. Further research is needed to refine outcome measurement for medication cessation interventions.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics
- Health Services Research
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Background:
- Medication prescribing is complex, often focusing on initiation and continuation.
- Stopping ongoing medication is sometimes necessary due to ineffectiveness, harm, or inappropriate initial prescription.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify effective strategies for discontinuing pre-existing medication prescriptions when continued use is not clinically warranted.
Main Methods:
- Systematic searches of PubMed, EMBASE, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts were conducted.
- Included studies were experimental or quasi-experimental, with data extracted by two independent reviewers.
- A total of 1306 articles were reviewed, with 12 high-quality studies included.
Main Results:
- Effective interventions for stopping medication included patient-mediated strategies, prescriber reminders, patient education, face-to-face prescriber interventions, and regulatory actions.
- Partially effective interventions included audit and feedback, electronic reminders, and educational materials for prescribers.
Conclusions:
- Stopping medication prescribing is achievable through various interventions, particularly those involving patients.
- More research is needed to measure actual prescribing cessation outcomes and clarify when to stop medications.
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