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Matthias Brunn1, Étienne Nouguez2, Eva Stahl3
1Laboratoire interdisciplinaire d'évaluation des politiques publiques (LIEPP - Sciences Po), Paris, France.
Abstract:
Deprescribing, defined as the supervised reduction or discontinuation of inappropriate medications with the aim of improving quality of care, has become a major public health issue. Long guided primarily by clinical and economic considerations, deprescribing now increasingly incorporates an environmental dimension, particularly with regard to the ecological footprint of the pharmaceutical life cycle. This article presents a synthesis of key insights from an interdisciplinary workshop held at Sciences Po in December 2024, which brought together researchers, clinicians, institutional representatives, and health system stakeholders. The discussions highlighted that France remains a country with high levels of medication consumption, exposing patients to substantial risks of iatrogenesis while generating significant environmental impacts. Speakers emphasized the existence of structured international deprescribing initiatives, whose implementation in France would require adaptation to the specific features of the national health system. Despite institutional efforts led by the French National Health Insurance, the National Authority for Health, the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products Safety, and regional observatories, several obstacles persist, including the lack of consolidated data, deeply rooted prescribing cultures, organizational constraints, and ambivalent patient expectations. Key levers for action were identified, such as greater recognition of medication review activities, the development of decision-support tools acceptable to health care professionals, the strengthening of territorially based multiprofessional dynamics, and the active involvement of patients. The case of psychotropic medications particularly illustrates the complexity of deprescribing practices. Beyond existing approaches, the discussions point to the need for a structured national strategy to embed deprescribing within a sustainable health framework, articulating quality of care, equity, and ecological transition.