![]() ![]() Horatio, your nurse Lois sits with her and reviews the medications she has brought from home in a brown bag. These benefits of deprescribing are also critical to consider in patients who are receiving palliative or end-of-life care.īefore you enter the exam room to see Ms. This latter point is especially true for medications prescribed without a clear indication or with no significant clinical benefit. Also, discuss the potential or real adverse effects of their medications the potential benefits of deprescribing, such as reduced risk of hospitalization, cognitive or functional gains, and improved quality of life and the minimal (if any) impact deprescribing would have on their conditions. To help patients buy into the deprescribing process, consider discontinuing one medication at a time or tapering medications if necessary, and assure your patients that you will monitor them for worsening conditions or withdrawal effects. They may be concerned about their conditions worsening or about contradicting the original prescriber. Many patients will resist stopping medications, especially those they have been taking for a long time. ![]() MedStopper is an online tool that allows you to enter a drug list for a specific patient and receive recommendations regarding which medications might be discontinued or switched.ģ. ĭ, developed by a team of physicians and pharmacists, provides deprescribing guidelines and algorithms, patient decision aids, and an up-to-date resource list of evidence and research. There are numerous versions of this list, but one of the better configured lists is found here. The Beers List from the American Geriatric Society lists medications that pose the highest risk to older patients, along with alternatives. Start with deprescribing those medications in the highest (level 3) category. In the geriatric population, this is a great tool to start with, as reducing or eliminating medications with high anticholinergic burdens can often improve patients' overall function and quality of life. The Anticholinergic Burden Calculator can help you evaluate a patient's potential for serious anticholinergic effects. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |