Perceptions, Policy, and Partnerships: How Pharmacists Can Be Leaders in Reducing Overprescribing

Medication overload - or harmful polypharmacy - is a widespread and growing public health issue, impacting millions of older Americans each year. Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to help deprescribe (collaboratively reduce inappropriate medication use), but also face significant obstacles to doing so. This paper explores three ways to involve pharmacists more in deprescribing to mitigate medication overload: Widen public perceptions of pharmacists' role in medication management, change policies that hinder pharmacist involvement in deprescribing, and encourage partnerships between stakeholders across disciplines.