Do Residents Need All Their Medications? A Cross-Sectional Survey of RNs' Views on Deprescribing and the Role of Clinical Pharmacists.

A cross-sectional survey was mailed to 307 RNs of a nationally representative sample of residential aged care facilities to investigate their views and perceptions on medication use and deprescribing in older adults. Questions were grouped according to each stage of the medication use process, and a dedicated section to explore nurses' views on deprescribing was included. Ninety-one questionnaires were received, yielding a 29.6% response rate. Respondents highlighted several challenges including achieving medication reconciliation for new residents, access to physicians to admit patients in a timely fashion, and issues pertaining to lack of clear medical information transcribing when transferring patients between health care settings. More than one half (67.4%) of nurses agreed or strongly agreed that deprescribing implemented with the help of a clinical pharmacist would be beneficial to residents and could improve medication adherence (44%), benefit residents' quality of life (50.5%), and reduce the length of time spent by nurses on medication administration (35.2%). Increased awareness regarding polypharmacy and potential deprescribing benefits is necessary to improve appropriate prescribing and medication use. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 43(10), 13-20.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.