Current Status and Research Trends in Deprescribing: A Bibliometric Review

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Bibliometrics
• Public Health

Background:

• Polypharmacy presents a significant global health challenge.
• Deprescribing strategies are increasingly adopted to manage polypharmacy's adverse effects.
• Understanding the research landscape of deprescribing is crucial for advancing clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a bibliometric analysis of deprescribing research.
• To identify current trends and influential studies in the field.
• To map the global research output and collaboration patterns.

Main Methods:

• Systematic retrieval of deprescribing studies from Web of Science Core Collection (up to December 2024).
• Bibliometric analysis including co-authorship, citation, co-citation, and co-occurrence analysis.
• Visualization of research trends and networks using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Bibliometrix software.

Main Results:

• 1809 publications identified, showing substantial growth over the last decade.
• Research is concentrated in developed countries (US, Australia, Canada) and focuses on chronic conditions like psychiatric and cardiometabolic diseases.
• Key themes include deprescribing barriers, facilitators, tools, interventions, and outcomes, with emerging focus on pharmaceutical care and implementation science.

Conclusions:

• This bibliometric study provides a comprehensive overview of the deprescribing research landscape.
• The field is growing but requires broader disease and geographical representation, especially from developing countries.
• Integrating implementation science is vital for improving deprescribing intervention design and evaluation.