Thoughtful Prescribing and Deprescribing

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

• Polypharmacy, defined as using five or more medications, is prevalent among older adults.
• This practice increases the risk of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and severe adverse drug events.
• Deprescribing is crucial for optimizing medication regimens in elderly populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the importance of deprescribing in managing polypharmacy in older adults.
• To emphasize the feasibility and benefits of deprescribing in clinical practice.
• To identify key components that facilitate successful deprescribing.

Main Methods:

• Review of studies demonstrating the feasibility of deprescribing.
• Emphasis on patient-centered approaches including patient preferences and shared decision-making.
• Highlighting the role of interdisciplinary teams and medication-specific algorithms.

Main Results:

• Deprescribing is a feasible clinical intervention for older adults with polypharmacy.
• Incorporating patient preferences and shared decision-making enhances deprescribing success.
• Interdisciplinary team collaboration and medication-specific algorithms are effective facilitators.

Conclusions:

• Deprescribing is an essential component of thoughtful prescribing for older adults.
• Successful deprescribing strategies involve patient engagement and collaborative, multidisciplinary approaches.
• Medication-specific algorithms can support clinicians in the deprescribing process.