Attitudes Toward Deprescribing Among Community-Dwelling Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in Community Pharmacies

The aim of this study was to identify patient-related factors associated with attitudes toward deprescribing and to explore perceived barriers and facilitators among community-dwelling adults.

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in 60 community pharmacies across the Haute-Vienne and Dordogne regions of France. Eligible participants were adults aged ≥ 55 years, with at least one chronic condition and taking five or more chronic medications. Pharmacies were selected using a random cluster sampling method stratified by geographic area. Consecutively recruited patients completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire assessing their attitudes toward deprescribing, perceived medication burden, and potential barriers or facilitators. Sociodemographic and clinical data were also collected. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with acceptance of deprescribing.

Among the 505 included patients (mean age 71.9 ± 9.0 years), 24.6% were reluctant to deprescribe. The main reasons for reluctance were the perceived effectiveness of their treatment (56.5%) and the fear of symptom recurrence (35.5%). Sleep disorders (odds ratio [OR] 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.33-0.78; p = 0.002) and urinary incontinence (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.34-0.96; p = 0.048) were significantly associated with refusal of deprescription. Perceived medication overload (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.12-2.95; p = 0.015) and restrictive treatment burden (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.07-2.89; p = 0.026) were significantly associated with acceptance of deprescription.

Attitudes toward deprescribing were positive among community-dwelling adults. Medication burden was associated with acceptance, whereas sleep disorders and urinary incontinence were associated with reluctance. Patient perceptions and clinical conditions should be considered when implementing deprescribing interventions.