Creating evidence-based deprescribing guidelines
Prescribers have said that it’s difficult to stop medications when prescribing guidelines only talk about starting them. The “Deprescribing Guidelines for the Elderly” project developed evidence-based deprescribing guidelines to support clinicians in safely reducing...
The role of pharmacists in improving geriatric prescribing
There is enormous potential for pharmacists to improve drug safety in seniors. Barriers that need to be overcome include raising awareness of which medications are inappropriate, improving communication between doctors and pharmacists, and equipping pharmacists with...
Geriatric pharmacoeconomics: cost savings from deprescribing
Canada is concerned about drug safety in seniors and unsustainable drug costs. Geriatric pharmacoeconomics reveals the hidden costs associated with drug harms, such as falls and hip fractures, in the case of benzodiazepine drugs. We are studying the re-allocation of...
The Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network Seniors Deprescribing Trial
As seniors start to question potentially inappropriate prescriptions, health care providers will need to engage in conversations about stopping or tapering these medications and to offer solutions for alternate and safer forms of therapy. This 6-month...
Facilitating conversations about deprescribing in primary care, a qualitative study
In the province of Quebec, one-third of seniors have claims for a drug on the Beers list, a list of drugs identified as potentially inappropriate to prescribe in this population. However, little is known about the conversations between primary care practitioners and...
D-PRESCRIBE trial – harnessing the power of the physician, pharmacist and patient triad
Reduction of inappropriate prescriptions in seniors requires awareness of harm on the part of patients, physicians and pharmacists. The D-PRESCRIBE - Developing Pharmacist-led Research to Educate and Sensitize Community Residents to the Inappropriate prescription...