Caroline Sirois1, Nicole Ouellet2, Emily Reeve3. 1. Université du Québec à Rimouski, 1595 Boulevard Alphonse-Desjardins, Lévis (Québec), G6V 0A6, Canada; Centre d'excellence sur le vieillissement de Québec, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Canada; Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: caroline_sirois@uqar.ca. 2. Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Canada. 3. Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Northern Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Geriatric Medicine Research, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University and Capital Health, Nova Scotia Health Authority, NS, Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: While there is evidence that supervised withdrawal of inappropriate medications might be beneficial for individuals with polypharmacy, little is known about their attitudes towards deprescribing. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the situation among older community-dwelling Canadians. METHODS: A self-administered survey was adapted from the Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing questionnaire and distributed to 10 community pharmacies and 2 community centers. The participants rated their agreement on statements about polypharmacy/deprescribing on a 5-point, Likert-type scale. Correlations between the desire to have medications deprescribed and survey items were evaluated using Spearman's Rho and Goodman and Kurska's gamma rank correlations. RESULTS: From the 129 participants, 63% were women [median age: 76 (IQR:71-80); median number medication: 6 (IQR: 3-8)]. A proportion of 50.8% (95%CI: 41.6%-60.0%) expressed the desire to reduce their number of medications. This desire was strongly correlated with the individuals' feeling of taking a large number of medications and moderately correlated with the belief that some of the medications were no longer needed or that they were experiencing side effects. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that older individuals in the community are eager to undertake deprescribing, especially if they have a large number of medications, are experiencing side effects or feel some medications are no longer necessary.
BACKGROUND: While there is evidence that supervised withdrawal of inappropriate medications might be beneficial for individuals with polypharmacy, little is known about their attitudes towards deprescribing. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the situation among older community-dwelling Canadians. METHODS: A self-administered survey was adapted from the Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing questionnaire and distributed to 10 community pharmacies and 2 community centers. The participants rated their agreement on statements about polypharmacy/deprescribing on a 5-point, Likert-type scale. Correlations between the desire to have medications deprescribed and survey items were evaluated using Spearman's Rho and Goodman and Kurska's gamma rank correlations. RESULTS: From the 129 participants, 63% were women [median age: 76 (IQR:71-80); median number medication: 6 (IQR: 3-8)]. A proportion of 50.8% (95%CI: 41.6%-60.0%) expressed the desire to reduce their number of medications. This desire was strongly correlated with the individuals' feeling of taking a large number of medications and moderately correlated with the belief that some of the medications were no longer needed or that they were experiencing side effects. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that older individuals in the community are eager to undertake deprescribing, especially if they have a large number of medications, are experiencing side effects or feel some medications are no longer necessary.
Authors: Wade Thompson; Barbara Farrell; Vivian Welch; Peter Tugwell; Cynthia Way; Lisa Richardson; Lise M Bjerre Journal: Can Pharm J (Ott) Date: 2018-12-17
Authors: Emily Reeve; Jennifer L Wolff; Maureen Skehan; Elizabeth A Bayliss; Sarah N Hilmer; Cynthia M Boyd Journal: JAMA Intern Med Date: 2018-12-01 Impact factor: 21.873
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