Patient barriers to and enablers of deprescribing: a systematic review

Potential overtreatment in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus: Results from a cross-sectional study in German general practice

BACKGROUND

It is important for general practitioners (GPs) to protect elderly patients with diagnosis of diabetes type 2 (DM2) from overtreatment.

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the metabolic control and treatment of elderly patients with DM2 in general practices.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study involved 46 general practices in a federal state of Germany. Inclusion criteria for patients were diagnosis of DM2, age of 70 years or above, no palliative care and at least one practice contact within the last six months. A study nurse randomly selected 10 eligible patients and extracted data on haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), diabetes treatment, secondary prevention and GP's characteristics. Risk of overtreatment was defined as having a HbA1c <47.5 mmol/mol (6.5%) and receiving glucose-lowering drugs, and overtreatment as being at risk of overtreatment and being aged 80 years or above or living in a nursing home.

RESULTS

Among 460 participants, 36.0% received oral-antidiabetic drugs, 16.7% insulin, 16.2% both and 31.1% received diet/exercise. Overtreatment occurred in 12% of elderly patients with DM2, risk of overtreatment in 24%. Overtreatment was significantly associated with urban residency (OR 2.17). Female elderly patients with DM2 were significantly less often at risk of overtreatment (OR 0.59). Cluster effects were evident between general practices' treatment and monitoring of elderly patients with DM2 in quantitative data.

CONCLUSION

Overtreatment is a relevant problem in elderly patients with DM2 for which GPs should regularly check and start deprescribing. Cluster effects suggest heterogeneity between general practices in diabetes management and monitoring.

Primary care healthcare professionals supporting patients to discontinue antidepressants: A scoping review of barriers, enablers and interventions

BACKGROUND

Antidepressants are prescribed to treat a range of common mental disorders (CMDs) including depression and anxiety. Most people are prescribed antidepressants for longer than is necessary, leading to avoidable long-term side-effects and exacerbated withdrawal effects, if they eventually discontinue taking them. There is a need for interventions to address the barriers and enablers (determinants) of healthcare professionals (HCPs) who support people to discontinue antidepressants when they are no longer needed.

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review aimed to examine the evidence base regarding the barriers and enablers to HCPs in primary care discontinuing antidepressants prescribed for mild-moderate mental health conditions, as well as interventions to facilitate HCPs to effectively support patients through the discontinuation process.

METHODS

Studies were identified by undertaking a keyword search of the databases MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). All peer-reviewed studies from inception to January 2024 were included. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. Findings were synthesised narratively.

RESULTS

Two hundred and fifty-three studies were included in title and abstract screening and 30 studies proceeded to full-text screening. Seventeen studies were included; nine reported HCP barriers and/or enablers and eight reported interventions. Time constraints, conflicting priorities and fear of CMD relapse are commonly reported barriers whilst knowledge and skills about how to discontinue antidepressants were the main enablers. Interventions primarily involved education and training for HCPs and provision of information about how to taper antidepressants.

DISCUSSION

Whilst existing interventions address the main enablers to HCPs discontinuing antidepressants, inclusion of components to address the barriers is a notable omission and may explain the lack of efficacy of existing interventions. Future interventions should be developed using appropriate theory and address all determinants of HCPs supporting people to discontinue antidepressants.

Deprescribing tools and guidelines in chronic kidney disease: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global health concern that is associated with multiple complications and comorbidities, leading to polypharmacy, inappropriate prescribing, and increased risk of adverse drug events. Deprescribing has emerged as an effective strategy to mitigate these consequences. Evidence-based guidelines are essential to support appropriate deprescribing practices in this population. A variety of deprescribing tools and guidelines are now widely available, but little is known about their utility in CKD setting. This study aimed to identify and characterize published deprescribing tools and guidelines specifically designed for patients with CKD.

METHODS

A comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, guidelines registries, and international deprescribing networks was conducted up to December 2024. Records were included if they presented a tool or guideline for deprescribing in patients with CKD. After removing duplicates, titles and abstracts were screened, followed by full-text reviews conducted using Rayyan® AI Software.

RESULTS

Of the 257 full-text records assessed, 11 met the eligibility criteria, detailing the development of 10 deprescribing tools and guidelines in CKD. These were categorized into four types: (1) comprehensive deprescribing process guidance (n = 2); (2) protocols for comprehensive deprescribing care models (n = 2); (3) drug-specific deprescribing algorithms (n = 4); and (4) screening tools for specific deprescribing steps (n = 2). The development methods of the tools varied: two tools combined literature reviews with expert consensus, four were based on literature reviews alone, three employed pre-determined systematic development frameworks, and the remaining tool was an individualized electronic decision-support tool. Several tools had undergone validation (n = 3) or pilot testing (n = 4) in various clinical settings.

CONCLUSIONS

This review identified and characterized the existing tools and guidelines for deprescribing in CKD, suggesting a limited but diverse body of resources. This review highlights the need for more robust, evidence-based deprescribing tools development that is tailored to the complex needs of CKD populations.

To prescribe or not to prescribe in the elderly: a qualitative exploration of prescribing dilemmas among Pakistani healthcare providers

OBJECTIVE

Potentially inappropriate prescribing is a global health issue with catastrophic consequences in the elderly population. Healthcare providers play a critical role in medication optimisation in elderly patients. The present study aims to explore the perceptions of healthcare professionals (prescribers) regarding the complexities of inappropriate prescribing practices in the elderly population.

DESIGN

A qualitative study using semistructured interviews was conducted. All the data were transcribed verbatim and analysed via Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis approach.

SETTING

Prescribers working in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.

PARTICIPANTS

Prescribers having more than 5 years of experience in elderly prescribing. Participants were selected using purposive sampling, and recruitment continued until the point of data saturation, meaning no new major themes emerged.

RESULTS

13 prescribers, five females and eight males with an average experience of 15.3 years, were interviewed. The interviews lasted for an average of 15 min. The analysis revealed three primary themes: (1) inappropriate prescribing, characterised by knowledge and awareness of inappropriate prescribing and its assessment tools; (2) complexities in elderly prescribing, highlighting patient factors such as comorbidities, polypharmacy, psychological issues and socioeconomic challenges, as well as prescriber factors; and (3) interventions to improve prescribing, emphasising the role of pharmacists in enhancing medication safety, the importance of effective patient-prescriber relationships through counselling and the need for regulatory measures to monitor prescribing behaviours. Inadequate knowledge of standardised assessment tools such as the Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment/Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions criteria, time constraints faced by prescribers and fragmented healthcare systems were some of the barriers identified by the respondents in medication optimisation for elderly individuals.

CONCLUSION

The findings highlight the need for enhanced education on standardised assessment tools and the implementation of targeted interventions. A key recommendation is the integration of clinical pharmacists into care teams to optimise prescribing practices.

Development of a complex multidisciplinary medication review and deprescribing intervention in primary care for older people living with frailty and polypharmacy

INTRODUCTION

Reducing polypharmacy and overprescribing in older people living with frailty is challenging. Evidence suggests that this could be facilitated by structured medication review (SMR) and deprescribing processes involving the multidisciplinary team (MDT). This study aimed to develop an MDT SMR and deprescribing intervention in primary care for older people living with frailty.

METHODS

Intervention development was informed by the Medical Research Council framework for complex intervention and behaviour change and implementation theories. Intervention planning included: 1) a realist review of 28 papers that identified 33 context-mechanism-outcome configurations for successful MDT SMR and deprescribing in primary care, 2) a qualitative study with 26 healthcare professionals (HCPs), 13 older people with polypharmacy and their informal carers. The intervention's guiding principles were developed and intervention functions proposed, discussed and refined through an iterative process in four online co-design stakeholder workshops.

RESULTS

The final version of the complex intervention consisted of five components: 1) Proactive identification of patients living with frailty and polypharmacy for targeted SMR using routinely collected primary care data; 2) HCPs' preparation using an evidence-based deprescribing tool to identify and prioritise high-risk medications for deprescribing; 3) Preparing patients and carers using a leaflet sent prior to SMR explaining the purpose of SMR and reasons for potentially stopping or changing medications; 4) Conducting a person-centred SMR face-to-face or by phone, tailored to patient/carer needs, involving other MDT members based on their expertise; 5) Tailored follow-up plans allowing continuity of care and highlighting signs and symptoms for patients and carers to monitor, and arranging follow-up through text, phone or face-to-face appointment.

CONCLUSION

A complex MDT SMR and deprescribing intervention for older people living with frailty was developed to address multiple challenges to deprescribing. The use of rigorous methods and behaviour and implementation theories potentially maximises the intervention's feasibility, acceptability and successful implementation.

A Quantitative Study Exploring and Comparing Key Factors in Medication Management in the Irish Healthcare Setting

BACKGROUND

Shared decision-making in the context of medication management has been shown to be contingent on information-seeking behaviours such as patient knowledge, self-efficacy and engagement.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to: (i) compare differences in perceptions of patients' knowledge, capabilities and engagement across healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients and family caregivers and (ii) investigate associations between these factors and patients' medication beliefs using a cross-sectional survey study of patients, family caregivers and community and hospital HCPs in Ireland.

METHODS

Two cross-sectional surveys measuring key factors in medication management were distributed to patients and family caregivers taking three or more medicines and HCPs involved in medicines management. χ2 tests were used to investigate differences between HCPs and patients and family caregivers. Multivariable linear regression with adjustment for the socio-demographic covariates was used to examine key factors in medication management and beliefs about medicine (BMQ-General) in patients and family caregivers.

RESULTS

Overall, 636 responses were received; patients and family caregivers (N = 134, 21%), community (N = 313, 49%) and hospital HCPs (N = 189, 30%). A higher proportion of patients and family caregivers self-reported as 'knowledgeable' about medications (N = 76; 56.7%) than community (N = 75, 24%) and hospital HCPs (N = 44, 23.3%) (p < 0.01). The majority of patients and family caregivers were 'fairly/very confident' they could maintain an accurate medication list without assistance (N = 78; 58.2%), compared to the majority of the community (N = 213, 68.1%) and hospital HCPs (N = 114, 60.3%) who were 'not at all/somewhat confident' (p < 0.01.) These patients and family caregivers also had significantly lower overall beliefs in medication harm (β = -1.23, 95% CI: -2.34, -0.13). Patient and family caregivers who asked HCPs about their medication frequently (> 7 times per year) had higher overall beliefs in medication overuse (β = 1.88, 95% CI: 0.06, 3.69) and medication harm (β = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.10, 4.20), compared to those who never asked.

CONCLUSION

There was divergence between HCPs and patients and family caregivers in their assessments of patients' medication knowledge and capabilities. Engagement between HCPs and patients around medication should be purposeful rather than frequent, to alleviate fears about overuse and harm.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

The patient and family caregiver survey was developed in partnership with members of the Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group. Feedback was provided by the group to increase accessibility of survey and maximise distribution. In addition, the survey was piloted among members of the public involved in medication management.

Effects of warning information at medication initiation on deprescribing intentions in older adults: A hypothetical vignette

OBJECTIVES

To explore to what degree providing patients warning information about the long-term risks of a medication would affect their subsequent desire to discontinue it.

METHODS

We conducted a vignette-based online experiment in which participants aged ≥ 65 years from the United States were asked to imagine starting and subsequently stopping omeprazole. Participants were randomized to one of four vignettes about starting omeprazole (potential long-term harms or no harm information; OTC vs. prescription). Participants reported interest in stopping omeprazole on a 6-point Likert scale. We calculated descriptive statistics and used logistic regression to compare participants with high (scores 4-6) versus low agreement (scores 1-3) with stopping.

RESULTS

Participants (n = 1245) had a median age of 70 years. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, older adults who received warning information when starting the medication were more likely to agree to stop omeprazole (OR 1.21, 95 % C.I. 1.02, 1.43). Willingness to stop omeprazole was higher among women (vs. men), among respondents with higher literacy, and among those who had never or previously used PPIs (vs current use).

CONCLUSION

Warning information about potential long-term risks when initiating a medication may increase the likelihood of subsequently stopping a medication when recommended by a PCP.

Predicting intentions towards long-term antidepressant use in the management of people with depression in primary care: A longitudinal survey study

BACKGROUND

Over the last two decades, antidepressant prescribing in the UK has increased considerably, due to an increased number of people staying on antidepressants for longer. Even when treatment is no longer clinically indicated, qualitative research suggests many people continue due to a fear of depressive relapse or antidepressant withdrawal symptoms. The quantitative effects of peoples' beliefs and attitudes towards long-term antidepressant use remain relatively unexplored.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the extent to which beliefs and attitudes towards antidepressant treatment are associated with intentions to stop or continue long-term use; and whether intentions translate into actual discontinuation.

METHODS

A questionnaire survey formed the main component of an embedded mixed-methods study. Twenty general practices posted questionnaires to adults aged over 18 receiving continuous antidepressant prescriptions for over two years. Outcomes and explanatory variables were determined using an extended model of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, conducting exploratory descriptive and regression analyses. The primary outcome was participants' intentions to discontinue antidepressants. The secondary outcome of behaviour change was determined by any change in antidepressant dosage at six months.

RESULTS

277 people were surveyed from 20 practices, with 10 years median antidepressant duration. Mean questionnaire scores for intention and subjective norms towards starting to come off antidepressants were low, and 85% of participants declared that continuing their antidepressant was necessary. Prescribing outcomes retrieved from 175 participants' medical records six months after they completed the survey found 86% had not changed their antidepressant, 9% reduced the dose, only 1% discontinued their antidepressant, and 4% increased the dose. All Theory of Planned Behaviour constructs and concerns were associated with intentions, with more favourable attitudes towards stopping and subjective norms having the strongest associations towards intentions to discontinue antidepressant use.

CONCLUSION

Given few intentions to stop taking antidepressants, patients should be made more aware of the importance of ongoing antidepressant monitoring and review from their primary care practitioners. This would promote discussion to support an attitudinal change and initiation of antidepressant tapering where appropriate.

Deprescribing in Australian residential aged care facilities: A scoping review

OBJECTIVES

Older adults residing in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) are particularly vulnerable to negative health outcomes from polypharmacy and suboptimal prescribing in the context of frailty and multimorbidity. Deprescribing, the intentional withdrawal of inappropriate medications, has been proposed as a promising approach to reduce polypharmacy-related harms. Examining current deprescribing interventions in RACFs would help identify gaps in research knowledge. The aim of this scoping review was to synthesise the current literature, describe the current knowledge gaps and future research priorities that the authors identified.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and AgeLine were searched according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines for scoping reviews from inception until February 2024 to identify relevant studies published in the English language.

RESULTS

Of the 2244 articles screened, 13 studies (total of 133,150 RACF residents across Australia) were identified examining deprescribing interventions. Six studies were controlled trials and seven studies were observational studies. There were six pharmacist-led interventions, five multidisciplinary team-led interventions and two physician-led interventions. Main themes discussed included as follows: multidisciplinary care, education for health-care professionals, refining outcome measures, overcoming system issues and research logistics. The most commonly targeted medications in the included studies were psychotropics.

CONCLUSIONS

Deprescribing is an important intervention for RACF residents but more research into translating evidence into clinically meaningful outcomes is needed. Successful studies typically involved multidisciplinary interventions, had an educational component, followed-up longitudinally with residents and carers and involved stakeholders, such as nurses. The economic impacts of deprescribing in this cohort are poorly understood.

Older Adults' Attitudes Toward Deprescribing in 14 Countries

Importance

Better understanding of patients' attitudes toward deprescribing specific medications will inform future deprescribing interventions.

Objective

To investigate older adults' attitudes toward deprescribing by investigating which medications they would like to have deprescribed, the reasons why, and patient factors associated with interest in deprescribing.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This survey study was conducted from May 2022 to December 2023 in primary care settings in 14 countries. Patients aged 65 years or older taking 5 or more medications were consecutively recruited by their general practitioner (GP) and completed the questionnaire.

Exposures

Patient characteristics, including gender, number of medications, GP gender, education level, financial status, confidence in completing medical forms, self-rated health, satisfaction with medications, trust in the GP, and country.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcomes were patient attitudes toward deprescribing specific medications, as measured by responses to the question, "Thinking about your current medication list, are there any medications that you would like to stop taking or reduce the dose of?" Multilevel multivariable logistic regression analysis was used, adjusted for clustering effect at the country level, to investigate the association between patient characteristics and interest in deprescribing.

Results

Of 1340 patients (mean [SD], 96 [47] patients per country), 736 (55%) were women, 580 (44%) had secondary school as their highest level of education, 1089 (82%) were satisfied with their medications, and 589 (44%) expressed they would like to deprescribe 1 or more of their medications. Patients expressed interest in deprescribing specific medications at varying levels, from 79% (86 of 109 patients) in Poland to 23% (21 of 96 patients) in Bulgaria. The 3 most reported medications patients would like to have deprescribed were diuretics (111 of 1002 medications [11%]), lipid-modifying agents (109 of 1002 medications [11%]), and agents acting on the renin-angiotensin system (83 of 1002 medications [8%]). The odds of naming at least 1 specific medication for deprescribing were lower for patients with higher medication satisfaction (odds ratio, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.21-0.47) and for patients with higher trust in their GP (odds ratio, 0.960; 95% CI, 0.930-0.998).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this survey study with primary care patients aged 65 years and older, patient attitudes toward deprescribing specific medications varied across countries, demonstrating that deprescribing interventions could be more impactful when adapted to specific settings and contexts. These findings highlight the importance of patient-practitioner communication in ensuring appropriate medication use.

Physician-reported barriers and facilitators to thyroid hormone deprescribing in older adults

BACKGROUND

Thyroid hormone is one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States. Misuse of and overtreatment with thyroid hormone is common in older adults and can lead to cardiovascular and skeletal adverse events. Even though deprescribing can reduce inappropriate care, no studies have yet explored specific barriers and facilitators to guide thyroid hormone deprescribing in older adults (defined as discontinuation of thyroid hormone when initiated without an appropriate indication or dose reduction in those overtreated).

METHODS

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 endocrinologists, geriatricians, and primary care physicians who prescribe thyroid hormone. Interviews were completed between July 2020 and December 2021 via two-way video conferencing. We used both an inductive and deductive content analysis guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework to evaluate transcribed and coded participant responses. Thematic analysis characterized themes related to barriers and facilitators to thyroid hormone deprescribing practices in older adults.

RESULTS

The most commonly reported barriers to thyroid hormone deprescribing were related to patient-level factors, followed by physician- and system-level factors. Patient factors included patients' perceived need for thyroid hormone use and patient anxiety/concerns about potential side effects related to thyroid hormone dose reduction, patient lack of knowledge, and misinformation regarding deprescribing. Physician- and system-level barriers included clinic visit time constraints, physician inertia, physician lack of knowledge about deprescribing, perceived lack of sufficient patient follow-up, and electronic health record limitations. The most prominent physician-reported facilitators to thyroid hormone deprescribing were effective physician-to-patient communication, and positive physician-patient relationship, including patients' trust in their treating physician.

CONCLUSION

Barriers and facilitators to thyroid hormone deprescribing in older adults were reported at multiple levels including patient-, physician-, and system-level factors. Interventions to improve thyroid hormone deprescribing in older adults should aim to improve patient education and expectations, increase multidisciplinary physician awareness, and overcome physician inertia.

Development of a Japanese version of the patient perceptions of deprescribing - Short form

Background

Deprescribing is a critical component of clinical practice, especially in geriatric medicine. Nevertheless, the attributes of patients who are prepared for, interested in, and could potentially benefit from deprescribing have not been well examined. The Patient Perceptions of Deprescribing (PPoD) evaluates patients' overall readiness for deprescribing and is complemented by an 11-item validated short form (SF-PPoD). The objective of this study was to develop a Japanese version of the SF-PPoD and assess its reliability and validity within Japanese older adults with polypharmacy.

Methods

The SF-PPoD was translated, back-translated, and assessed in a cognitive interview. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 196 patients aged 65 years or older with five or more medications using the Japanese version to test for reliability and validity. We examined internal consistency and construct validity to determine if the Japanese sample responses reproduce the two subscales in the original SF-PPoD. Finally, we examined intra-person replicability using the intraclass correlation coefficient, in which 100 participants were invited and 93 participated.

Results

118 males and 78 females, with a mean age of 79.2 [SD 6.5] years, completed the survey. Confirmatory factor analysis of the Japanese version of SF-PPoD revealed satisfactory structural validity with two-dimensional structure, "Motivation for Deprescribing" and "Primary Care Physician Relationship." Cronbach's alpha showed good internal consistency, and test-retest demonstrated acceptable intra-rater reliability.

Conclusions

We developed and validated a Japanese version of SF-PPoD with an 11-item, two-dimensional structure consistent with the original SF-PPoD. This scale may facilitate shared decision-making for medication optimization among older adults living with multimorbidity.

Enhancing older Veterans' care: Insights from medication reviews and deprescribing interventions

BACKGROUND

Patient experience during and after health care is a critical indicator of quality of care that encompasses effective communication, respect, dignity, and emotional support. However, qualitative studies exploring the experiences of older adults after deprescribing interventions are sparse, highlighting a knowledge gap. This project seeks to address this gap by exploring Veterans' experiences during and after a deprescribing intervention provided by a pharmacist. This study aims to: 1. Assess Veteran's experience of the process of their Comprehensive Medication Review and deprescribing intervention visit; 2. Assess the Veteran's experience with the outcomes of their Comprehensive Medication Review and deprescribing intervention.

METHOD

Data was collected from 17 Veterans through semi-structured interviews using an interview guide. The Veteran Affairs study site utilizes the VIONE polypharmacy risk calculator to identify high-risk Veterans; the majority of these Veterans were on at least 10 medications. The interview transcripts were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Two research team members independently coded the data for categories and themes. Similarities were identified, and any divergence was discussed and resolved. To enhance the validity of the findings, member checking was performed with Veterans to confirm the results.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Most Veterans viewed the process of the pharmacists' visits and recommendations positively. They expressed confidence in pharmacists' knowledge and instructions. They appreciated the clarity of information pharmacists provided about the purpose, proper administration, and interactions of their medications. These enhanced the Veterans' ability to manage their medication regime. They also desired an increased frequency of interactions with their pharmacist due to these positive interactions. Veterans appreciated interprofessional collaboration between pharmacists, physicians, and other providers. Veterans expressed how pivotal lab test results were for evaluating medication recommendations and effectiveness. Most Veterans reported positive outcomes and/or indicated there were no negative effects as a result of their recent medication changes. Some reported seeking additional information from their providers regarding suggested medication changes to validate recommendations. There was some uncertainty about whether there would be follow-up visits with the professional after the medication change and who should initiate this. A minority indicated problems associated with prior medication discontinuation before the deprescribing intervention and how this limited their openness to future opportunities of deprescribing.

CONCLUSION

This exploration of Veterans' experiences with the process and outcomes of a deprescribing service affirms its importance and overall success in this site as part of the unique publicly funded Veteran healthcare system in the US. Equally important, the positive Veteran response suggests the value of exploring its potential to benefit patients experiencing polypharmacy across a range of other sites and systems.

Deprescribing for older adults during acute care admission: a scoping review protocol

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this scoping review is to understand the current body of knowledge regarding deprescribing in adults aged 60 years or older in acute care settings, including the deprescribing activities that are being undertaken, and the feasibility, challenges, and outcomes of the practice.

INTRODUCTION

Polypharmacy is prevalent amongst older adults, despite risks to patients. Much of the existing research on deprescribing has occurred in the outpatient context, with recent research emerging on the unique opportunity that acute care may provide.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

This review will include deprescribing in adults aged 60 years or older in acute care. It will consider deprescribing occurring during inpatient admission and at the time of discharge from hospital.

METHODS

The JBI method for scoping reviews will guide this review. A search of MEDLINE (Ovid), Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Embase (Ovid), and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews will be undertaken from inception to present with no language restrictions. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method studies, clinical practice guidelines, and opinion papers will be considered for inclusion. Systematic reviews and scoping reviews will be excluded. Google Scholar and a general Google search will be conducted for gray literature. Two reviewers will assess articles for inclusion and any disagreements will be discussed and resolved by discussion or a third reviewer, if required. Findings will be presented in the scoping review using a narrative approach with supporting quantitative data in a tabular format according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist (PRISMA-ScR).

REVIEW REGISTRATION

Open Science Framework https://osf.io/pb7aw/.

Deprescribing Cardiovascular Medications in Older Adults Living with Frailty

Certain medications have shown significant effectiveness in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality, leading them to be among those that are prescribed most commonly for Canadian seniors. However, polypharmacy, which disproportionately affects older adults, is particularly concerning for frail individuals who are at higher risk for adverse medication-related events. The deprescribing process is the discontinuation, either immediate or gradual, of inappropriate medications, to address polypharmacy and improve outcomes. Nonetheless, the incorporation of deprescribing principles into clinical practice present challenges, including the limited amount of data available on the clinical benefits of deprescription, and a lack of consensus on how to deprescribe. The current narrative review explores frailty as a basis for deciding to deprescribe medication. The evidence regarding the benefits of use of medications prescribed for common cardiovascular conditions (including acetylsalicylic acid, statins, and antihypertensives) in older adults with frailty is reviewed. The review also examines the issue of who should initiate the deprescribing process, and the associated psychological implications. Although no one-size-fits-all approach to deprescription is available, patient goals should be prioritized. For older adults with frailty, healthcare professionals must consider carefully whether the benefits of use of a cardiovascular medication outweighs the potential harms. Ideally, the deprescribing process should involve shared decision-making among physicians, other health professionals, and patients and/or their substitute decision-makers, with the common goal of improving patient outcomes.

Predictors of medicine-related perceptions towards deprescribing inappropriate medications among older adult outpatients in Jordan: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To examine the predictors of medicine-related perceptions towards deprescribing inappropriate medications among older adults in Jordan.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional, correlational study.

SETTING

Data were collected by a graduate nursing student from five outpatient clinics in a selected public hospital in Jordan via inperson interviews 5 days a week over a period of 4 months.

PARTICIPANTS

A convenience sample of 200 older adults who regularly visited the outpatient clinics of the selected public hospital for regular check-ups during July 2023 were recruited.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Predictors of patients' perceived medication concerns, interest in stopping medications, perceived unimportance of medications, and beliefs about medication overuse were examined.

RESULTS

Increased perceived medication concerns among patients were significantly associated with older age (p=0.037), lower level of self-rated general health (p=0.002), less perceived care-provider knowledge of medications (p=0.041), higher perceived unimportance of medicines (p=0.018), less collaboration with care providers (p=0.017), being seen by a clinical pharmacist (p<0.001) and an increased number of prescribed medicines (p<0.001). Increased perceived interest in stopping medications was significantly associated with lower levels of self-rated general health (p=0.029), less perceived involvement in decision-making (p=0.013), higher perceived unimportance of medicines (p=0.002), being seen by a clinical pharmacist (p=0.024) and an increased number of prescribed medicines (p=0.001). Furthermore, increased perceived unimportance of medications among patients was significantly associated with more perceived beliefs about medication overuse (p=0.007), more perceived interest in stopping medicines (p=0.001) and greater perceived medication concerns (p=0.001). Moreover, greater perceived beliefs about medication overuse were significantly associated with older age (p=0.018), higher perceived unimportance of medicines (p=0.016), more collaboration with care providers (p=0.038), having post-traumatic disorder (p=0.018) and an increased number of prescribed medicines (p=0.038).

CONCLUSIONS

The current study examined predictors of medicine-related perceptions towards deprescribing inappropriate medications among older adults. Care providers should discuss the benefits of deprescribing inappropriate medications with their patients to prevent the side effects associated with long-term unnecessary use. Future studies on the effectiveness of an evidence-based deprescribing protocol on minimising the clinical side effects associated with the inappropriate prescription of medications among older adults are recommended.

Development and validation of a training course on proton pump inhibitor deprescription for general practitioners in a rural continuing medical education program: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Despite being cornerstone medications for managing gastrointestinal disorders, proton pump inhibitors (PPI) have raised concerns due to inappropriate prescribing and overutilization, their potential side effects, and interactions with other medications. General practitioners (GPs) provide long-term patient follow-up and are targets to promote PPI deprescribing to reach the widest possible population. GPs practicing in rural settings encounter unique challenges as their numbers dwindle and their workload increases. Hence, targeted educational interventions are crucial to promote appropriate prescribing practices in such underserved areas.

METHODS

We developed a continuing medical education (CME) program focused on PPI deprescribing for GPs in rural settings. The program comprised of an interactive training session featuring clinical cases, an open discussion, and distribution of educational materials. We assessed the program's effectiveness using a two-level Kirkpatrick model, evaluating participant satisfaction and knowledge levels through pre- and post-course questionnaires.

RESULTS

Thirty-three GPs participated, with 61.9% working in semi-rural and 38.1% in rural areas (21 responded to the 1st questionnaire, 14 to the 2nd ). Median medical experience was 6 years, with 61.9% serving as internship supervisors. Despite 95.2% acknowledging PPI overprescription, none had previously participated in dedicated PPI CME programs. The open discussion session provided valuable insights into various topics related to PPI use and gastrointestinal health. Participants expressed high satisfaction with the program (average rating of 9.1/10) and 92.9% reported changes in practice, including increased awareness of inappropriate PPI prescriptions. Indeed, 92.9% of GPs identified inappropriate PPI use following the course. 57.1% of participants utilized the provided educational materials. The main practice changes observed included an increased reassessment rate of PPI indications (71.4% at each renewal after vs. 19% before, 28.6% non-systematically after vs. 66.8% before, 0% rarely after vs. 14.3% before; p = 0.006), the necessity for more than one consultation to deprescribe (64.3% after vs. 23.8% before; p = 0.021), systematic utilization of gradual cessation of PPI (100% vs. 61.9%; p = 0.039) and more frequent use of additional medication (92.9% vs. 57.1%; p = 0.022), primarily antiacids (92.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study underscores the effectiveness of targeted CME programs in promoting appropriate prescribing practices and enhancing knowledge among GPs in rural settings. Despite the challenges encountered in deprescribing PPI, the program facilitated proactive approaches in managing treatment discontinuation failures. Tailored educational interventions are essential for mitigating medication prescribing challenges and improving patient outcomes in rural primary care settings.

TRIAL REGISTRATIONS

Not applicable.

The patient's perspectives of safe and routine proactive deprescribing in primary care for older people living with polypharmacy: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

The process of identifying and discontinuing medicines in instances in which harms outweigh benefits (deprescribing) can mitigate the negative consequences of problematic polypharmacy. This process should be conducted with a focus on the patient and involve collaborative decision-making. Evidence is needed regarding patients' views on how deprescribing should be safely and routinely implemented in English primary care to improve its application. This study aimed to identify optimal methods of introducing and actioning deprescribing from the patient's perspective.

METHODS

Participants in England aged 65 and above who were taking five or more medicines and residing in their own homes were recruited through social media and service user groups. An interview guide was created from deprescribing literature and input from patients and the public, guided by the Normalisation Process Theory (NPT). The interviews were held online using Microsoft Teams® or via phone, recorded, and then transcribed. The data was analysed using the Framework analysis.

RESULTS

Twenty patients (mean age of 74.5, SD = 6.93), with 75% being female, were enrolled in the study. Three main themes emerged: (1) 'Why deprescribe now?' emphasised the significance of explaining the reasons behind deprescribing; (2) 'Monitoring and follow-up' underscored the necessity of safety measures during deprescribing and patients' willingness to self-monitor post-intervention; (3) 'Roles and relationships' explored patient perceptions of various healthcare professionals involved in deprescribing and the essential interpersonal skills for fostering therapeutic relationships.

CONCLUSION

Optimal methods of introducing deprescribing included communicating a convincing rationale for stopping medicines and preparing patients for deprescribing conversations. Patients required support from a range of healthcare professionals with whom they had an existing therapeutic relationship. Whilst patients were motivated to self-monitor unwanted/unexpected effects post-deprescribing, timely support was required. The nature of such bolstered collective action and cognitive participation within NPT enhances the normalisation potential of deprescribing. These findings highlight the significance of considering the content and process of deprescribing consultations to enhance normalisation and tackle problematic polypharmacy. This provides a deeper understanding of patients' needs for implementing safe and routine deprescribing in primary care, which should be considered when designing medication review and deprescribing services.

Physician perspectives on statin continuation and discontinuation in older adults in primary cardiovascular prevention: a qualitative methods study

OBJECTIVES

In the context of limited evidence on statin use in primary cardiovascular prevention in older adults, we assessed physician perspectives on decision-making about statin continuation or discontinuation in this population.

DESIGN

Qualitative descriptive approach including four focus groups. Inductive and deductive thematic analysis.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

18 physicians including two neurologists, three cardiologists, seven hospital internists and six primary care providers (PCPs) recruited at a hospital and primary care practices in the area of Bern in Switzerland.

RESULTS

Concerning knowledge about statins in older adults, physicians reported defining if a patient is treated for primary or secondary prevention as challenging and that lack of evidence makes the decision to continue or discontinue the statin difficult. In terms of beliefs, fear of a possible rebound effect after statin discontinuation was reported. Regarding decision-making, physicians mentioned that statin discontinuation or continuation should be a shared decision between the patient and the physician. Concerning the professional role, environmental context and resources, the PCP office was identified as the ideal setting to discuss discontinuation, as all necessary information is available and PCPs have a longer relationship with the patients, thus facilitating a shared decision. Discontinuation of a chronic medication was perceived as difficult in general. Furthermore, PCPs noticed a possible negative impact on patient-physician relationship as some patients felt not being worth it, given up or undertreated if the statin was discontinued.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the challenges of statin continuation and discontinuation in older patients and the crucial role of PCPs in situations with unclear evidence for a medication, where shared decision-making between physicians and patients is important. More evidence forming the background for a decision aid would be helpful.

Assessment of beliefs and attitudes towards benzodiazepines using machine learning based on social media posts: an observational study

BACKGROUND

Benzodiazepines are frequently prescribed drugs; however, their prolonged use can lead to tolerance, dependence, and other adverse effects. Despite these risks, long-term use remains common, presenting a public health concern. This study aims to explore the beliefs and opinions held by the public regarding benzodiazepines, as understanding these perspectives may provide insights into their usage patterns.

METHODS

We collected public tweets published in English between January 1, 2019, and October 31, 2020, that mentioned benzodiazepines. The content of each tweet and the characteristics of the users were analyzed using a mixed-method approach, including manual analysis and semi-supervised machine learning.

RESULTS

Over half of the Twitter users highlighted the efficacy of benzodiazepines, with minimal discussion of their side effects. The most active participants in these conversations were patients and their families, with health professionals and institutions being notably absent. Additionally, the drugs most frequently mentioned corresponded with those most commonly prescribed by healthcare professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

Social media platforms offer valuable insights into users' experiences and opinions regarding medications. Notably, the sentiment towards benzodiazepines is predominantly positive, with users viewing them as effective while rarely mentioning side effects. This analysis underscores the need to educate physicians, patients, and their families about the potential risks associated with benzodiazepine use and to promote clinical guidelines that support the proper management of these medications.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

Not applicable.

The Australian Team Approach to Polypharmacy Evaluation and Reduction (AusTAPER) hospital study: effect of a collaborative medication review on the number of current regular medicines for older hospital inpatients

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Potentially harmful polypharmacy is a growing public health concern. This article aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured Team Approach to Polypharmacy Evaluation and Reduction (AusTAPER) framework.

METHODS

We recruited patients at metropolitan hospitals for a randomised controlled trial with 12 months of follow-up. The intervention included a comprehensive medicines history, multidisciplinary meeting and medicines review prior to discharge, with engagement with the participants' general practitioner extending after discharge. The primary outcome was the change in the number of regular medicines used at 12 months from baseline. A cost consequence was performed to estimate costs per participant during the study period.

RESULTS

There were 98 participants enrolled in the study. The number of regular medicines was significantly reduced from baseline in both groups (-1.7 ± 4.3, t = 2.38, P = 0.02 in the control group vs -2.7 ± 3.6, t = 4.48, P = 0.0001 in the intervention group), although there was no statistical difference detected between the two groups (1.0 (SE 0.9), t = 1.03, P = 0.31). The intervention was estimated to cost AU$644.17 and was associated with cost savings of AU$552.53 per participant in sustained reduced medicines cost. Health outcomes and healthcare costs were similar in both groups.

DISCUSSION

Medicines were significantly reduced in both groups, with a trend to a larger reduction in medicines at 12 months in the intervention group. The intervention cost was approximately offset by sustained reduced medicines cost, although these results should be regarded cautiously because of the absence of significance in the differences in outcomes between groups.

Improving the feasibility of deprescribing proton pump inhibitors: GPs' insights on barriers, facilitators, and strategies

Introduction

The prevalent overprescribing of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) poses health risks from prolonged use. GPs play a key role in initiating deprescribing PPIs, so understanding their decision-making factors and strategies to improve feasibility is crucial. This study aimed to investigate the perspectives of GPs on deprescribing PPIs with a focus on identifying facilitators, barriers, and strategies to enhance feasibility in clinical settings.

Methods

A qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews was conducted with nine GPs or trainees. The thematic analysis of the interviews was conducted using NVivo R1 (2020).

Results

Four main categories were identified: 1) Inappropriate prescribing of PPIs, 2) Facilitators for deprescribing PPIs, 3) Barriers to deprescribing PPIs, 4) Feasibility of deprescribing PPIs. GPs acknowledged excessive and often inappropriate PPI prescribing, with a lack of deprescribing efforts mainly due to time constraints. Other key barriers included patient reluctance, fear of symptom recurrence, and unawareness of long-term risks. Patient-initiated request is key facilitator for deprescribing PPIs. GPs emphasized the need for collaboration with healthcare professionals, clear guidelines, improved digital support, increased physician availability, and raising awareness among providers and patients to enhance deprescribing feasibility.

Discussion

GPs are calling for a multifaceted approach to improve the feasibility of deprescribing PPIs, involving patient-centered approaches, systemic optimizations, support from other healthcare professionals, and provider-centered strategies to emphasize the importance of deprescribing PPIs.

An Internationally Derived Process of Healthcare Professionals' Proactive Deprescribing Steps and Constituent Activities

Proactive deprescribing is the process of tapering or stopping a medicine before harm occurs. This study aimed to specify and validate, with an international sample of healthcare professionals, a proactive deprescribing process of steps and constituent activities. We developed a proactive deprescribing process framework of steps which we populated with literature-derived activities required to be undertaken by healthcare professionals. We distributed a survey to healthcare professionals internationally, requesting for each activity the frequency of its occurrence in practice and whether it was important. Extended response questions investigated barriers and enablers to deprescribing. The 263 survey respondents were from 25 countries. A proactive deprescribing process was developed comprising four steps: (1) identify a patient for potential stop of a medicine, (2) evaluate a patient for potential stop of a medicine, (3) stop a medicine(s), and (4) monitor after a medicine has been stopped, and 17 activities. All activities were considered important by ≥70% of respondents. Nine activities required healthcare professionals to undertake in direct partnership with the patient and/or caregiver, of which seven were only sometimes undertaken. Deprescribing interventions should include a focus on addressing the barriers and enablers of healthcare professionals undertaking the activities that require direct partnership with the patient and/or caregiver.

Medication Appropriateness for Older Nursing Home Patients With a Limited Life Expectancy: From STOPP/START Version 2 to the ReNeWAL Criteria

OBJECTIVES

To adapt the 2015 Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions (STOPP)/Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment (START) criteria to older nursing home patients with a limited life expectancy of 1.5 to 2 years.

DESIGN

A modified Delphi consensus study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

The study was established in The Netherlands and conducted online. The international panel consisted of 23 experts with experience in medicine for older people.

METHODS

The expert panel was presented with the 2015 STOPP/START criteria using an online survey program (Survey Monkey). The panelists were asked for their opinion on the appropriateness of the STOPP and START criteria, and adaptations to these criteria for older nursing home patients with a limited life expectancy on 4-point Likert scales. Consensus was defined as ≥70% of the panelists answering (very) inappropriate or (very) appropriate, and (completely) disagree or (completely) agree.

RESULTS

Twenty-one panelists completed all 3 Delphi rounds. The final list of "Represcribing for Nursing home residents With A Limited life expectancy (ReNeWAL)" criteria comprises 132 criteria: 98 criteria to stop (70 original STOPP criteria and 28 adapted) and 34 criteria to start (16 original START criteria and 18 adapted) for older nursing home patients with a limited life expectancy. Considerations that panelists mentioned for adapting criteria were mainly prevention and treatment of discomfort.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

It is clear that represcribing for older nursing home patients is highly complex and requires the consideration of various elements. The ReNeWAL criteria may be useful in enhancing represcribing for older nursing home patients with a limited life expectancy.

Current Landscape and Future Directions of Deprescribing and Polypharmacy Practices in Jordan

This review explores the current landscape and future directions of deprescribing and polypharmacy practices in Jordan. The prevalence of polypharmacy, defined as the concurrent use of multiple medications by an individual, has been increasing in recent years due to various factors, such as population aging and the greater availability of medications. However, polypharmacy can lead to adverse drug events, suboptimal medication adherence, increased healthcare costs, and reduced quality of life. Deprescribing, on the other hand, involves the discontinuation or reduction of unnecessary or potentially harmful medications to improve patient outcomes. The findings presented in this review highlight the current state of deprescribing and polypharmacy practices in Jordan, including factors influencing their prevalence. Additionally, it discusses the challenges healthcare professionals face in implementing deprescribing strategies and identifies potential solutions for enhancing these practices in Jordanian healthcare settings. Moreover, this paper provides insights into future directions for deprescribing and polypharmacy practices in Jordan. Overall, this review offers valuable insights into the current landscape of deprescribing and polypharmacy practices in Jordan while also providing recommendations for future directions to optimize medication management strategies that can ultimately benefit patient outcomes within a sound healthcare system framework.

Perspectives on deprescribing in older people with type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular conditions: challenges from healthcare provider, patient and caregiver perspective, and interventions to support a proactive approach

INTRODUCTION

For people with type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular conditions, deprescribing of glucose-lowering, blood pressure-lowering and/or lipid-lowering medication is recommended when they age, and their health status deteriorates. So far, deprescribing rates of these so-called cardiometabolic medications are low. A review of challenges and interventions addressing these challenges in this population is pertinent.

AREAS COVERED

We first provide an overview of relevant deprescribing recommendations. Next, we review challenges for healthcare providers (HCPs) to deprescribe cardiometabolic medication and provide insight in the patient and caregiver perspective on deprescribing. We summarize findings from research on implementing deprescribing of cardiometabolic medication and reflect on strategies to enhance deprescribing. We have used a combination of methods to search for relevant articles.

EXPERT OPINION

There is a need for rigorous development and evaluation of intervention strategies aimed at proactive deprescribing of cardiometabolic medication. To address challenges at different levels, these should be multifaceted interventions. All stakeholders must become aware of the relevance of deintensifying medication in this population. Education and training for HCPs and patients should support patient-centered communication and shared decision-making. Development of procedures and tools to select eligible patients and conduct targeted medication reviews are important for implementation of deprescribing in routine care.

Stakeholders' perspectives and experiences of the pharmacist's role in deprescribing in ambulatory care: A qualitative meta-synthesis

BACKGROUND

Deprescribing is an effective strategy to manage polypharmacy and improve patient outcomes. The notion of a potential role for pharmacists in a multidisciplinary team approach to deprescribing has been identified in quantitative and qualitative literature. However, stakeholders' perceptions of this role, and factors that may impede or facilitate the pharmacist's involvement have not been elucidated. The application in ambulatory care also requires clarification. Understanding stakeholders' views is essential to optimise involvement of the pharmacist in deprescribing and improve practice.

OBJECTIVES

First, to synthesize the perspectives and experiences of stakeholders (primary care providers, pharmacists, patients, and carers) regarding the role and involvement of the pharmacist in deprescribing in ambulatory care settings. Second, to identify barriers and strategies to enhancing pharmacist involvement in deprescribing.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted across CINAHL, Embase, Medline, and Scopus from database inception to April 2023 for qualitative studies in English exploring the pharmacist's role in deprescribing. Data were extracted for iterative and inductive development of themes. A meta-synthesis facilitated the identification of overarching themes. Qualitative secondary analysis enabled identification of barriers and facilitators to the pharmacist's involvement in deprescribing.

RESULTS

From 285 articles identified, 9 studies were included which explored the views of general practitioners, specialist physicians, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, patients, carers, and general practice and clinic staff as stakeholders in deprescribing in ambulatory care. The meta-synthesis identified 4 over-arching themes: (1) therapeutic impetus and the status quo mentality, (2) role and responsibility, (3) multidisciplinary care, and (4) conflicting interests in pharmacy practice. Strategies to enhance pharmacists' involvement in deprescribing emerged from the data, and the pharmacist's role was strongly encouraged by stakeholders despite logistical and perceptual barriers identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Incorporation of the strategies to enhance the pharmacist's involvement in deprescribing identified in this review is encouraged to optimise patient-centred care and improve practice.

The effect of exercise referral schemes and self-management strategies on use of prescription analgesics among community-dwelling older adults: registry linkage with randomised controlled trials

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Exercise referral schemes and self-management strategies have shown positive effects on patient-reported and objectively measured outcomes, such as increased functional capacity and physical activity level. However, the impact of these interventions on analgesic use remains uncertain. We hypothesised that exercise referral schemes, either utilised alone or in combination with self-management strategies, is more effective in reducing use of prescription analgesics compared with a self-management strategy only.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We utilised data from two completed randomised controlled trials, namely The Welfare Innovation in Primary Prevention (n = 121) and The SITLESS project (n = 338), and information from the national Danish health registries, including the National Prescription Registry. The two trials have investigated the effectiveness of interventions, which include exercise referral schemes and self-management strategies, on various aspects such as physical function and levels of physical activity among community-dwelling older adults. The studies were conducted in the period 2015-2020 and comprised older adults aged 65+ years, living in three different Danish municipalities. Participants were recruited through nationally regulated preventive home-visits. To estimate changes in use of prescription analgesics over time, a linear fixed effects regression model was applied. The outcome measure was the mean total yearly defined daily dose of analgesics.

RESULTS

All intervention groups showed a within-group increase in overall analgesic use, though not statistically significantly different from zero. There were no differences in estimated changes in mean total yearly defined daily dose when comparing the intervention groups to the group receiving the least extensive intervention (self-management strategies/control). The findings indicated that exercise referral schemes and self-management strategies, whether administrated individually or in combination, did not result in a reduction in analgesic use over time.

Pharmacist-Led Deprescribing of Opioids and Benzodiazepines in Older Adults: Examining Implementation and Perceptions

Background: This study examines the implementation and perceptions of a pharmacist consultant deprescribing program aimed at reducing the risk of falls in older adults using opioids and benzodiazepines. Methods: This qualitative study conducted interviews with healthcare providers. The interviews were conducted from August to December 2021 and analyzed using inductive coding techniques. Results: Five participants, predominantly female MDs or PA-Cs from rural clinics, were interviewed. The participants adopted a pharmacist-led deprescribing program due to their heightened awareness of the opioid crisis, dedication to patient safety, and a desire for opioid deprescribing education. Initially, concerns included patient resistance and provider-driven barriers. However, over time, patient attitudes shifted toward greater openness to the program. The providers emphasized several critical needs for the success of the program: guaranteed access to pharmacists, tailored patient education, resources specific to providers, and financial support, including telehealth options. These factors were deemed essential to overcoming initial barriers and ensuring effective implementation. Conclusion: Integrating pharmacists into primary care settings shows promise for deprescribing opioids and benzodiazepines in older adults. Future research should explore telehealth options for patient-pharmacist consultations and expand the application of these findings to other healthcare settings. The study highlights the importance of awareness, patient education, access to resources (pharmacists), and provider support in addressing deprescribing among older adults.

A deprescribing programme aimed to optimise blood glucose-lowering medication in older people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, the OMED2-study: the study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) have an increased risk of hypoglycaemic episodes when using sulphonylureas or insulin. In the Netherlands, guidelines exist for reducing glucose-lowering medication in older patients. However, evidence is lacking that a medication reduction in older patients can be safely pursued. Here, we will examine if promoting the deprescribing of insulin/sulphonylureas with a deprescribing programme (DPP) in general practice affects T2D-complications in older overtreated patients.

METHODS

We will perform a 1:1 cluster randomised controlled trial in 86 general practices in the Netherlands. The DPP will consist of education sessions with general practitioners and practice nurses about reducing glucose-lowering medication in older patients (≥ 70 years). Topics of the sessions include the necessity of deprescribing, tools to initiate deprescribing and strategies to discuss deprescribing with patients (shared decision making). The DPP further includes a support programme with practice visits. The study will employ a selection tool to identify possibly overtreated older patients from the electronic medical records of the general practitioner. Eligibility for enrolment in the study will be based on HbA1c targets indicated by the Dutch guidelines, which depend on age, diabetes duration, presence of frailty, and life expectancy. The control group will provide usual care. We aim to include 406 patients. The follow-up period will be 2 years. For the primary outcome, the effect of the DPP on T2D-complications will be assessed by counting the cumulative incidence of events related to under- and overtreatment in T2D as registered in the electronic medical records. We shall perform an intention-to-treat analysis and an analysis including only patients for whom deprescribing was initiated. The implementation of the DPP in general practice will be evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively using the Extended Normalisation Process Theory (ENPT) and the Reach, Efficacy - Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) model. Other secondary outcomes include quality of life, cognitive functioning, events related to overtreatment or undertreatment, biomarkers of health, amount of blood glucose-lowering medication prescriptions, and cost-effectiveness.

DISCUSSION

This study will provide insight into the safety and feasibility of a programme aimed at deprescribing sulphonylureas/insulin in older people with T2D who are treated in general practice.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN50008265 , registered 09 March, 2023.

Deprescribing: An umbrella review

This umbrella review examined systematic reviews of deprescribing studies by characteristics of intervention, population, medicine, and setting. Clinical and humanistic outcomes, barriers and facilitators, and tools for deprescribing are presented. The Medline database was used. The search was limited to systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in English up to April 2022. Reviews reporting deprescribing were included, while those where depre-scribing was not planned and supervised by a healthcare professional were excluded. A total of 94 systematic reviews (23 meta--analyses) were included. Most explored clinical or humanistic outcomes (70/94, 74 %); less explored attitudes, facilitators, or barriers to deprescribing (17/94, 18 %); few focused on tools (8/94, 8.5 %). Reviews assessing clinical or humanistic outcomes were divided into two groups: reviews with deprescribing intervention trials (39/70, 56 %; 16 reviewing specific deprescribing interventions and 23 broad medication optimisation interventions), and reviews with medication cessation trials (31/70, 44 %). Deprescribing was feasible and resulted in a reduction of inappropriate medications in reviews with deprescribing intervention trials. Complex broad medication optimisation interventions were shown to reduce hospitalisation, falls, and mortality rates. In reviews of medication cessation trials, a higher frequency of adverse drug withdrawal events underscores the importance of prioritizing patient safety and exercising caution when stopping medicines, particularly in patients with clear and appropriate indications.

Defining, identifying and addressing problematic polypharmacy within multimorbidity in primary care: a scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Polypharmacy and multimorbidity pose escalating challenges. Despite numerous attempts, interventions have yet to show consistent improvements in health outcomes. A key factor may be varied approaches to targeting patients for intervention.

OBJECTIVES

To explore how patients are targeted for intervention by examining the literature with respect to: understanding how polypharmacy is defined; identifying problematic polypharmacy in practice; and addressing problematic polypharmacy through interventions.

DESIGN

We performed a scoping review as defined by the Joanna Briggs Institute.

SETTING

The focus was on primary care settings.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Cochrane along with ClinicalTrials.gov, Science.gov and WorldCat.org were searched from January 2004 to February 2024.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

We included all articles that had a focus on problematic polypharmacy in multimorbidity and primary care, incorporating multiple types of evidence, such as reviews, quantitative trials, qualitative studies and policy documents. Articles focussing on a single index disease or not written in English were excluded.

EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS

We performed a narrative synthesis, comparing themes and findings across the collective evidence to draw contextualised insights and conclusions.

RESULTS

In total, 157 articles were included. Case-finding methods often rely on basic medication counts (often five or more) without considering medical history or whether individual medications are clinically appropriate. Other approaches highlight specific drug indicators and interactions as potentially inappropriate prescribing, failing to capture a proportion of patients not fitting criteria. Different potentially inappropriate prescribing criteria also show significant inconsistencies in determining the appropriateness of medications, often neglecting to consider multimorbidity and underprescribing. This may hinder the identification of the precise population requiring intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Improved strategies are needed to target patients with polypharmacy, which should consider patient perspectives, individual factors and clinical appropriateness. The development of a cross-cutting measure of problematic polypharmacy that consistently incorporates adjustment for multimorbidity may be a valuable next step to address frequent confounding.

Reducing potentially inappropriate polypharmacy at a national and international level: the impact of deprescribing networks

INTRODUCTION

Over the past decade, polypharmacy has increased dramatically. Measurable harms include falls, fractures, cognitive impairment, and death. The associated costs are massive and contribute substantially to low-value health care. Deprescribing is a promising solution, but there are barriers. Establishing a network to address polypharmacy can help overcome barriers by connecting individuals with an interest and expertise in deprescribing and can act as an important source of motivation and resources.

AREAS COVERED

Over the past decade, several deprescribing networks were launched to help tackle polypharmacy, with evidence of individual and collective impact. A network approach has several advantages; it can spark interest, ideas and enthusiasm through information sharing, meetings and conversations with the public, providers, and other key stakeholders. In this special report, the details of how four deprescribing networks were established across the globe are detailed.

EXPERT OPINION

Networks create links between people who lead existing and/or budding deprescribing practices and policy initiatives, can influence people with a shared passion for deprescribing, and facilitate sharing of intellectual capital and tools to take initiatives further and strengthen impact.This report should inspire others to establish their own deprescribing networks, a critical step in accelerating a global deprescribing movement.

Association of Healthy Lifestyle and Incident Polypharmacy

BACKGROUND

Polypharmacy, commonly defined as taking ≥5 medications, is an undesirable state associated with lower quality of life. Strategies to prevent polypharmacy may be an important priority for patients. We sought to examine the association of healthy lifestyle, a modifiable risk factor, with incident polypharmacy.

METHODS

We performed a secondary analysis of the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort study, including 15,478 adults aged ≥45 years without polypharmacy at baseline. The primary exposure was healthy lifestyle at baseline as measured by the Healthy Behavior Score (HBS), a cumulative assessment of diet, exercise frequency, tobacco smoking, and sedentary time. HBS ranges from 0-8, whereby 0-2 indicates low HBS, 3-5 indicates moderate HBS, and 6-8 indicates high HBS. We used multinomial logistic regression to examine the association between HBS and incident polypharmacy, survival without polypharmacy, and death.

RESULTS

Higher HBS (i.e., healthier lifestyle) was inversely associated with incident polypharmacy after adjusting for sociodemographic and baseline health variables. Compared with participants with low HBS, those with moderate HBS had lower odds of incident polypharmacy (odds ratio [OR] 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73-0.98) and lower odds of dying (OR 0.74; 95% CI, 0.65-0.83). Participants with high HBS had even lower odds of both incident polypharmacy (OR 0.75; 95% CI, 0.64-0.88) and death (OR 0.62; 95% CI, 0.54-0.70). There was an interaction for age, where the association between HBS and incident polypharmacy was most pronounced for participants aged ≤65 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Healthier lifestyle was associated with lower risk for incident polypharmacy.

Measuring Quality of Life in Deprescribing Trials: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Quality of life (QoL) is an important outcome to capture in clinical trials evaluating deprescribing interventions.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to conduct a scoping review to examine how QoL has been measured in deprescribing trials among older people and identify potentially relevant QoL scales, to better inform QoL measurement in future deprescribing trials.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Google Scholar, Epistemonikos, ClinicalTrials.gov, and reference lists of eligible studies (from inception to October 2023). We included randomized and non-randomized comparative studies with a control group that evaluated deprescribing and polypharmacy reduction interventions in people ≥ 65 years of age and measured QoL as an outcome. We also included studies describing the development and validation of QoL scales related to deprescribing, polypharmacy, or medication burden in adults ≥ 18 years of age. Two independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts, then full texts. Two independent reviewers extracted data from 25% of eligible studies in order to verify agreement, then a single reviewer extracted data from the remaining studies, which a second reviewer cross-checked. We critically appraised scales based on the COSMIN checklist.

RESULTS

We retrieved 7290 articles, of which 52 were eligible for inclusion, including 44 deprescribing trials and eight scale development studies. From these studies, we found 21 scales that have been used in the context of deprescribing/polypharmacy (12 generic scales used in clinical trials and nine medication-specific scales). Variations of the generic EQ-5D were the most used scales. The measurement properties of scales for capturing changes in QoL from deprescribing were uncertain. Medication-specific QoL scales have not been employed in deprescribing clinical trials and thus, their performance in this context is also not clear.

CONCLUSIONS

Several existing QoL scales have been applied to the context of deprescribing/polypharmacy clinical trials, and new scales specific to the problem have been proposed. If deprescribing does impact QoL, our findings suggest it is uncertain whether existing QoL scales can practically and reliably capture such a change or whether any scale is best. However, this review compares various aspects of the scales that researchers and clinicians can consider in decisions about measuring QoL in deprescribing trials, and in planning future research.

PROTOCOL REGISTRATION

Open Science Framework: osf.io/aez6w.

Optimizing clinical outcomes in polypharmacy through poly-de-prescribing: a longitudinal study

Objectives

To evaluate polypharmacy in older people to determine whether the number of medications de-prescribed correlates with the extent of improvement in quality of life (QoL) and clinical outcomes.

Design

A prospective longitudinal cohort study of polypharmacy in people living in a community in Israel.

Setting

Participants aged 65 years or older who took at least six prescription drugs followed up for at least 3 years (range 3-10 years) after poly-de-prescription (PDP) recommendations.

Interventions

PDP recommended at first home visit using the Garfinkel algorithm. Annual follow-up and end-of-study questionnaires used to assess clinical outcomes, QoL, and satisfaction from de-prescribing. All medications taken, complications, hospitalizations, and mortality recorded. In total, 307 participants met the inclusion criteria; 25 incomplete end-of-study questionnaires meant 282 participants for subjective analysis. Participants divided into two subgroups: (i) those who discontinued more than 50% of the drugs (PDP group) or (ii) those who discontinued less than 50% of the drugs (non-responders, NR).

Main outcome measures

Objective: 3-year survival rate and hospitalizations. Subjective: general satisfaction from de-prescribing; change in functional, mental, and cognitive status; improved sleep quality, appetite, and continence; and decreased pain.

Results

Mean age: 83 years (range 65-99 years). Mean number of drugs at baseline visit: 9.8 (range 6-20); 6.7 ± 2.0 de-prescribed in the PDP group (n = 146) and 2.2 ± 2.1 in the NR group (n = 161) (p < 0.001).No statistical difference between the groups in the 3-year survival rate and hospitalizations, but a significant improvement in functional and cognitive status and, in general, satisfaction from the intervention in the PDP group compared to the NR group. Improvement usually evident within the first 3 months and persists for several years.

Conclusion

Poly-de-prescribing in the older population has beneficial effects on several clinical outcomes with no detrimental effect on the rate of hospitalization and survival. The extent of improvement correlates with the extent of de-prescribing. Applying the Garfinkel algorithm globally may improve QoL in millions of patients, a clinical and economic win-win situation.

Designing a tool ensuring older patients the right medication at the right time after discharge from hospital- the first step in a participatory design process

BACKGROUND

On average, older patients use five or more medications daily, increasing the risk of adverse drug reactions, interactions, or medication errors. Healthcare sector transitions increase the risk of information loss, misunderstandings, unclear treatment responsibilities, and medication errors. Therefore, it is crucial to identify possible solutions to decrease these risks. Patients, relatives, and healthcare professionals were asked to design the solution they need.

METHODS

We conducted a participatory design approach to collect information from patients, relatives, and healthcare professionals. The informants were asked to design their take on a tool ensuring that patients received the correct medication after discharge from the hospital. We included two patients using five or more medications daily, one relative, three general practitioners, four nurses from different healthcare sectors, two hospital physicians, and three pharmacists.

RESULTS

The patients' solution was a physical location providing a medication overview, including side effects and interactions. Healthcare professionals suggested different solutions, including targeted and timely information that provided an overview of the patient's diagnoses, treatment and medication. The common themes identified across all sub-groups were: (1) Overview of medications, side effects, and diagnoses, (2) Sharing knowledge among healthcare professionals, (3) Timely discharge letters, (4) Does the shared medication record and existing communication platforms provide relevant information to the patient or healthcare professional?

CONCLUSION

All study participants describe the need for a more concise, relevant overview of information. This study describes elements for further elaboration in future participatory design processes aimed at creating a tool to ensure older patients receive the correct medication at the correct time.

Are Saudi Arabian Patients Willing to Be Deprescribed Their Medications? An Exploratory Study

Purpose

Deprescribing is a complex process that requires active patient involvement, so the patient's attitude to deprescribing is crucial to its success. This study aimed to assess predictors of Saudi Arabian patients' willingness to deprescribe.

Patients and Methods

In this cross-sectional study, adult patients from two hospitals in Riyadh completed a self-administered questionnaire gathering data on demographic information and the Arabic revised Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing (rPATD) questions. Descriptive analysis and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the data.

Results

A total of 242 patients were included (mean age 59.8 (SD 11.05) years, range 25-87 years; 40% 60-69 years; 54.1% female). The majority (90%) of participants were willing to have medications deprescribed. Willingness to deprescribe was significantly associated with the rPATD involvement factor (OR=1.866, 95% CI 1.177-2.958, p=0.008) and the patient's perception of their health status (OR=2.08, CI=1.058-4.119, p=0.034).

Conclusion

The majority of patients were willing to have one or more medications deprescribed if recommended by their doctors. Patient perceptions about their own health and their involvement in deprescribing were important predictive factors that could shape counseling and education strategies to encourage deprescribing.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a collaborative deprescribing intervention of proton-pump-inhibitors on community-dwelling older adults: Protocol for the C-SENIoR, a pragmatic non-randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Worldwide, demographic ageing is a major social, economic and health challenge. Despite the increase in life expectancy, elderly often live with multiple chronic conditions, exposing them to multiple medications. Concerns have been raised about the growing issue of inappropriate long-term usage of proton-pump inhibitors (PPI), which have been associated with adverse outcomes and increased healthcare costs. Deprescribing is a recommended intervention to reduce or withdraw medicines that might be causing harm or might no longer be of benefit. This protocol details a trial to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a collaborative deprescribing intervention of PPI among community-dwelling elderly, involving community pharmacists and general practitioners.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A pragmatic, multicentre, two-arm, non-randomised controlled trial of a structured PPI collaborative deprescribing intervention in the primary care setting with a 6-month follow-up will be conducted. Patients must be 65 years old or older, live in the community and have been using PPI for more than 8 weeks. We hypothesize that the intervention will reduce the PPI usage in the intervention group compared to the control group. The primary outcome is the successful discontinuation or dose decrease of any PPI, defined as a statistically significant absolute 20% reduction in medication use between the intervention and control groups at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. An economic evaluation will be conducted alongside the trial. This study was approved by the Ethics Research Committee of Nova Medical School, NOVA University of Lisbon and by the Ethics Committee from the Local Health Unit Alto Minho, Portugal.

DISCUSSION

This pragmatic trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a patient-centred collaborative deprescribing intervention in the community setting in Portugal. It will also inform improvements for the development of future multi-faceted interventions that aim to optimise medication for the community-dwelling elderly.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN 49637686.

The Frailty Reduction via Implementation of Exercise, Nutrition, and Deprescribing (FRIEND) Trial: Study Protocol and Recruitment Results

INTRODUCTION

Virtually all adults in aged care facilities are frail, a condition which contributes to falls, cognitive decline, hospitalisation, and mortality. Polypharmacy, malnutrition, sedentariness, and sarcopenia are risk factors amenable to intervention. The Asia-Pacific Frailty Management Guidelines recommend anabolic exercise and the optimisation of medications and nutrition. However, no study has evaluated this best practice intervention triad in aged care.

METHODS

The Frailty Reduction via the Implementation of Exercise, Nutrition, and Deprescribing (FRIEND) Trial (ANZCTR No.ACTRN12622000926730p) is a staged 6-month translational trial evaluating resident outcomes, staff/caregiver knowledge, and institutional implementation in a Townsville aged care facility. Residents received high-intensity resistance exercise and balance training and medication and nutrition optimisation co-implemented by investigators (exercise physiologist, geriatrician, pharmacist, and nutritionist) and facility staff. Staff and caregivers completed comprehensive education modules and training. We report the trial protocol and recruitment results.

RESULTS

29 residents (21 female, age: 88.6 ± 6.3 years) were recruited. At baseline, the residents were frail (frailty scale nursing home (FRAIL-NH); 6.3 ± 2.4/14), cognitively impaired (Montreal Cognitive Assessment; 13.8 ± 6.8/30), functionally impaired (Short Physical Performance Battery; 4.9 ± 3.1/12, 6 min walk distance; 222.2 ± 104.4 m), and were prescribed numerous medications (15.5 ± 5.9). Two residents died and one withdrew before the intervention's commencement. Thirty family members and 19 staff (carers, allied health assistants, nurse managers, registered nurses, lifestyle-leisure officers, kitchen/hospitality staff, and senior leadership) were recruited to receive frailty education modules.

CONCLUSIONS

The FRIEND trial is currently being implemented with results expected in mid-2024. This is the first trial to evaluate the implementation of the best practice frailty guidelines including anabolic exercise and medication/nutritional optimisation in residential aged care.

Evaluation of deprescription by general practitioners in elderly people with different levels of dependence: cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Polypharmacy is easily achieved in elderly patients with multimorbidity and it is associated with a higher risk of potentially inappropriate medication use and worse health outcomes. Studies have shown that deprescription is safe, however, some barriers have been identified. The aim of this study was to analyse Portuguese General Practitioners (GP) deprescription's attitudes using clinical vignettes.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study using an online survey with 3 sections: demographic and professional characterization; two clinical vignettes with an elderly patient with multimorbidity and polypharmacy in which the dependency level varies; barriers and factors influencing deprescription. Frequencies, means, and standard deviations were calculated to describe the GPs. Analysis of the deprescription attitude, globally and for each drug, for each clinical vignette applying the McNeemar's test.

RESULTS

A sample of 396 GP was obtained with a mean age of 38 years, most of them female. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.01) was observed in deprescribing according to the patient dependency level, with more GPs (80.4% versus 75.3%) deprescribing in the most dependent patient. A statistically significant difference was found for all drugs except for antihypertensive drugs. All medications were deprescribed more often in dependent patients except for anti-dementia drugs. More than 70% of the participants considered life expectancy and quality of life as "very important" factors for deprescription and more than 90% classified the existence of guidelines and the risks and benefits of medication as "very important" or "important". In the open question, the factors most reported by the GP were those related to the patient (52,9%).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the largest study on this topic carried out in Portugal using clinical vignettes, with a representative sample of Portuguese GP. The level of dependence significatively influenced the deprescription attitude of Portuguese GPs. The majority of the GPs classified the quality of life, life expectancies, potential negative effects and the existence of guidelines as "very important" or "important" while deprescribing. It is important to develop and test deprescribing in real life studies to analyze if these attitudes are the same in daily practice.

Deprescribing medications among patients with multiple prescribers: A socioecological model

Deprescribing is the intentional dose reduction or discontinuation of a medication. The development of deprescribing interventions should take into consideration important organizational, interprofessional, and patient-specific barriers that can be further complicated by the presence of multiple prescribers involved in a patient's care. Patients who receive care from an increasing number of prescribers may experience disruptions in the timely transfer of relevant healthcare information, increasing the risk of exposure to drug-drug interactions and other medication-related problems. Furthermore, the fragmentation of healthcare information across health systems can contribute to the refilling of discontinued medications, reducing the effectiveness of deprescribing interventions. Thus, deprescribing interventions must carefully consider the unique characteristics of patients and their prescribers to ensure interventions are successfully implemented. In this special article, an international working group of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, epidemiologists, and researchers from the United States Deprescribing Research Network (USDeN) developed a socioecological model to understand how multiple prescribers may influence the implementation of a deprescribing intervention at the individual, interpersonal, organizational, and societal level. This manuscript also includes a description of the concept of multiple prescribers and outlines a research agenda for future investigations to consider. The information contained in this manuscript should be used as a framework for future deprescribing interventions to carefully consider how multiple prescribers can influence the successful implementation of the service and ensure the intervention is as effective as possible.

Decreasing polypharmacy in older adults with cancer: A pilot cluster-randomized trial protocol

INTRODUCTION

Polypharmacy is prevalent in older adults with cancer and associated with multiple adverse outcomes. A single-site, cluster-randomized clinical trial will enroll older adults with cancer and polypharmacy starting chemotherapy and will assess the effectiveness and feasibility of deprescribing interventions by comparing two arms: a pharmacist-led deprescribing intervention and a patient educational brochure.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study will be conducted in two phases. In phase I, focus groups and semi-structured individual interviews will guide adaptation of deprescribing interventions for the oncology clinic (phase Ia), and eight patients will undergo the pharmacist-led deprescribing intervention with iterative adaptations (phase Ib). In phase II, a pilot cluster-randomized trial (n = 72) will compare a pharmacist-led deprescribing intervention with a patient education brochure, with treating oncologists as the cluster. Both efficacy (relative dose intensity of planned chemotherapy, potentially inappropriate medications successfully deprescribed, chemotherapy toxicity, functional status, hospitalizations, falls, and symptoms) and implementation outcomes (barriers and facilitators) will be assessed.

DISCUSSION

This study is anticipated to provide pilot data to inform a nationwide randomized clinical trial of deprescribing in older adults starting cancer treatment. The cluster randomization is intended to provide an initial estimate for the intervention effect as well as oncologists' intra-class correlation coefficient. Deprescribing interventions may improve outcomes in older adults starting cancer treatment, but these interventions are understudied in this population, and it is unknown how best to implement them into oncology practice. The results of this trial will inform the design of large, randomized phase III trials of deprescribing.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov Identifier:NCT05046171. Date of registration: September 16, 2021.

Barriers and Enablers for Deprescribing Glucose-Lowering Treatment in Older Adults: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

Overtreatment with glucose-lowering treatment (GLT) is frequent and a source of high morbidity and mortality in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to identify and synthesize barriers and enablers for deprescribing GLT in older adults (≥65 years) with T2DM.

DESIGN

Systematic review of qualitative and mixed-methods studies.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Older adults with T2DM, any participants [patients, health care providers (HCPs), caregivers], any settings.

METHODS

Two researchers (and a referred third researcher at all stages) independently screened original articles reporting qualitative and mixed-methods studies exploring barriers and enablers for deprescribing GLT in older adults published during 2010-2023, identified from MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and gray literature. Quality of the included studies was assessed with the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool. Verbatim statements on barriers and enablers were extracted, and determinants of behaviors were identified with the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) version 2, and related intervention functions (targets for future interventions) were proposed according to the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW).

RESULTS

We identified only 4 studies from 2 countries (United States and the Netherlands), all recently published (2019-2023), that primarily reported barriers to GLT deprescribing from interviews or focus groups of patients or HCPs practicing outpatient medicine. Knowledge, fear, poor communication, inertia, and trust with HCPs were the main determinants of behaviors that influenced deprescribing, and education, training, persuasion and environmental restructuring were the main intervention functions for proposing future interventions. Studies did not cover financial aspects, physician characteristics, or caregiver and family viewpoints.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The use of a behavioral theory and a validated implementation framework provided a comprehensive approach to identifying barriers and enablers for deprescribing GLT in older adults (≥65 years) with T2DM. The behavioral determinants identified may be useful in tailoring interventions to improve the implementation of GLT deprescribing in older adults in ambulatory settings.

Outcomes of a Medication Optimization Virtual Interdisciplinary Geriatric Specialist (MOVING) Program: A Feasibility Study

BACKGROUND

Adverse drug events among older adults result in significant mortality, morbidity and cost. This harm may be mitigated with appropriate prescribing and deprescribing. We sought to understand the prescribing outcomes of an interdisciplinary geriatric virtual consultation service.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective, before-and-after feasibility study to measure prescribing outcomes for a medication optimization virtual interdisciplinary geriatric specialist (MOVING) programme comprised of expertise from geriatric clinical pharmacology, pharmacy and psychiatry for older adults (aged ≥ 65 years) between June and December 2018, Ontario, Canada. The primary outcome was the number of distinct prescriptions and the presence of polypharmacy (defined as ≥ 4 medications) before and after the service. Secondary outcomes included the number of as needed and regularly administered prescriptions, number of potentially inappropriate prescriptions as defined by the Beers and STOPP criteria, and number of prescriptions for psychotropics, long-acting opioids and diabetic medications.

RESULTS

We studied 40 patients with a mean age of 80.6 [standard deviation (SD) 8.8] years who received a MOVING consult. We found no significant change in the mean total number of prescriptions per patient before (12.02, SD 5.83) and after the intervention (11.58, SD 5.28), with a mean difference of -0.45 [95% confidence interval (CI) -0.94 to 0.04; p = 0.07]. We found statistically significant decreases in as needed prescriptions (mean difference - 0.30, 95% CI - 0.45 to - 0.15; p<0.001), and potentially harmful medications as identified by the Beers (mean difference -1.25, 95% CI -2.00 to -0.50; p = 0.002) and STOPP (mean difference -1.65, 95% CI -2.33 to -0.97; p < 0.001) scores. Without including the cost savings from hospital diversion by a MOVING consult, the costs of a MOVING consult were $545.80-$629.80 per person, compared with the costs associated with traditional in-person consults involving similar specialist clinical services ($904.89-$1270.69 per person).

CONCLUSION

A MOVING model of care is associated with decreases in prescriptions for potentially inappropriate medications in older adults. These findings support further evaluation to ascertain health system impacts.

What is the quantity, quality and type of systematic review evidence available to inform the optimal prescribing of statins and antihypertensives? A systematic umbrella review and evidence and gap map

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to map the systematic review evidence available to inform the optimal prescribing of statins and antihypertensive medication.

DESIGN

Systematic umbrella review and evidence and gap map (EGM).

DATA SOURCES

Eight bibliographic databases (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL, EMBASE, Health Management Information Consortium, MEDLINE ALL, PsycINFO, Conference Proceedings Citation Index-Science and Science Citation Index) were searched from 2010 to 11 August 2020. Update searches conducted in MEDLINE ALL 2 August 2022. We searched relevant websites and conducted backwards citation chasing.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

We sought systematic reviews of quantitative or qualitative research where adults 16 years+ were currently receiving, or being considered for, a prescription of statin or antihypertensive medication. Eligibility criteria were applied to the title and abstract and full text of each article independently by two reviewers.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Quality appraisal was completed by one reviewer and checked by a second. Review characteristics were tabulated and incorporated into an EGM based on a patient care pathway. Patients with lived experience provided feedback on our research questions and EGM.

RESULTS

Eighty reviews were included within the EGM. The highest quantity of evidence focused on evaluating interventions to promote patient adherence to antihypertensive medication. Key gaps included a lack of reviews synthesising evidence on experiences of specific interventions to promote patient adherence or improve prescribing practice. The evidence was predominantly of low quality, limiting confidence in the findings from individual reviews.

CONCLUSIONS

This EGM provides an interactive, accessible format for policy developers, service commissioners and clinicians to view the systematic review evidence available relevant to optimising the prescribing of statin and antihypertensive medication. To address the paucity of high-quality research, future reviews should be conducted and reported according to existing guidelines and address the evidence gaps identified above.

Polypharmacy and Deprescribing in Older Adults

Older adults commonly end up on many medications. Deprescribing is an important part of individualizing care for older adults. It is an opportunity to discuss treatment options and revisit medications that may not have been reassessed in many years. A large evidence base exists in the field, suggesting that deprescribing is feasible and safe, though questions remain about the potential clinical benefits. Deprescribing research faces a myriad of challenges, such as identifying and employing the optimal outcome measures. Further, there is uncertainty about which deprescribing approaches are likely to be most effective and in what contexts. Evidence on barriers and facilitators to deprescribing has underscored how deprescribing in routine clinical practice can be complex and challenging. Thus, finding practical, sustainable ways to implement deprescribing is a priority for future research in the field.