Deprescription is the process of stopping, reducing, or switching an inappropriate medication to another deemed more appropriate, which is supervised by a healthcare professional (either a physician, pharmacist, or nurse) in order to improve health and reduce costs. It has gradually become a major topic in the (appropriate) prescription domain, especially in the elderly and end-of-life patients.
While its global security and benefits are commonly accepted, routine implementation and optimization still needs to be further investigated in many research paths. We will first review the viewpoints of actors involved in the deprescribing process, namely patients and relatives, as well as health care professionals. Evidences concerning a specific medication class, benzodiazepine receptor agonists, will be reviewed. Finally, the article will outlinehow deprescription can be implemented in nursing home residents and end-of-life patients.
Key Words
Deprescription, barriers, facilitators, benzodiazepine receptor agonists, nursing homes, patients’ attitudes, older patients, end-of-life care