Global Trends and Research Hot Spots in Medication Regimen Simplification: Bibliometric Analysis

Medication regimen simplification has gained increasing attention as a strategy to reduce treatment burden and improve medication use. However, the overall development, knowledge structure, and emerging themes of this field have not been systematically mapped, hindering efforts to identify clear research priorities and support strategies that facilitate the translation of simplified approaches into optimized medication management.

This study aimed to examine global research trends, collaboration patterns, and research hot spots in medication regimen simplification.

A bibliometric analysis was conducted to characterize the research landscape of medication regimen simplification. Publications from the Web of Science Core Collection (January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2025) were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 365, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Bibliometrix in R for publication trends, countries and regions, institutions, authors, cocited references, keyword co-occurrence, clustering, and thematic evolution.

A total of 468 publications were included in this bibliometric analysis. Annual publication output showed an upward trend, although fluctuations occurred across years. The United States ranked first in publication output and total citations, and Monash University was the most productive institution. Collaboration was concentrated in a limited number of country, institutional, and author clusters, with the strongest international links between North America and Europe. Cocitation and keyword analyses showed that the field evolved from a focus on HIV-related regimen optimization and medication adherence to broader themes in chronic disease management, including type 2 diabetes, heart failure, long-term care, and medication regimen complexity.

Research on medication regimen simplification has grown over time, but collaboration remains relatively concentrated. Current hot spots center on its use in specific disease settings and on medication complexity and adherence, whereas recent trends highlight real-world implementation. Future research should further examine the long-term impact and sustainability of simplification strategies.