Patients' perspectives on deprescribing in swedish primary care: an exploratory survey study

Understanding patients' perspectives on their medications is important to facilitate collaborative deprescribing and shared decision-making.

To explore older patients' attitudes towards having their medications deprescribed and facilitators for deprescribing in Swedish primary care.

Swedish primary care patients (≥ 65 years and taking ≥5 medications) responded to an anonymous survey on their attitudes towards deprescribing (June 2022-December 2023).

Out of 101 patients (45% women), 81% were satisfied with their medications (n = 82), 78% would be willing to stop or reduce ≥1 medication if their physician said it was possible (n = 79), and 27% (n = 27) wanted to deprescribe ≥1 medications from their medication lists (with 48 unique medications being mentioned). Side effects associated with the medication was the most commonly stated reason for wanting to deprescribe, mentioned by 52% (14/27 patients). Patients most often wanted to deprescribe blood glucose lowering medications, mentioned by 26% (7/27 patients). Most frequent patient-perceived facilitators for deprescribing were the support from their general practitioner (GP) (68%), a plan for deprescribing (38%), the possibility of restarting the medication if needed (23%), and having an alternative medication (22%).

While most older adults with polypharmacy in Swedish primary care would be willing to deprescribe if suggested by their physician, many did not want to have any medication deprescribed. This difference highlights the need to clarify patients' preferences when discussing medication changes. Support from the GP was identified as an important facilitator, demonstrating the importance of patient-GP communication and shared decision-making in deprescribing.