Polypharmacy, Deprescribing

This entry provides an introduction to the concepts of polypharmacy and deprescribing, the current approaches to deprescribing interventions, and the role of health communication in deprescribing. Although polypharmacy may be necessary at times, inappropriate polypharmacy is a major health concern in many nations, and deprescribing is one solution to combat the problem. Although some deprescribing interventions have reduced inappropriate medication use short term, they have not been successful in achieving long-term deprescribing. After reviewing the deprescribing literature, we discuss approaching deprescribing from a communication perspective, viewing the patient, clinician, and pharmacist as stakeholders in the decision-making process.