Deprescribing

Medicines have adverse effects and the use of multiple medicines, polypharmacy, can be associated with poorer outcomes. Health professionals need to recognise when medicines should be ceased and how to deprescribe. Deprescribing could be considered when there is polypharmacy, adverse drug reactions, ineffective treatment, falls or when treatment goals have changed. If patients are slowly weaned off their medicines, withdrawal and rebound syndromes are usually not serious. A cautious approach to deprescribing includes two principles - stop one drug at a time and wean doses slowly over weeks and months