The value of deprescribing in older adults with dementia: a narrative review

Mouna J. Sawan, Daniela C. Moga, Megan J. Ma, Joanna C. Ng, Kristina Johnell, Danijela Gnjidic

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Introduction:Mitigating the burden of unnecessary polypharmacy or multiple medication use in people living with dementia has been recognized as a key priority internationally. One approach to reducing inappropriate polypharmacy is through medication withdrawal or deprescribing. Area covered:Non-systematic searches of key databases including PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar were conducted from inception to 28 February 2021 for articles that assessed the safety and/or efficacy of deprescribing in older adults living with dementia. Personal reference libraries were also utilized. Information on current clinical trials was found in clinicaltrial.gov. Expert Opinion: There is limited direct evidence to inform deprescribing in older adults with dementia specifically. This review identified nineteen studies that have assessed the impact of deprescribing interventions to reduce inappropriate polypharmacy or direct deprescribing of specific medications. However, the current evidence is limited in scope as most studies focused on medication-related outcomes (e.g. discontinuation of high-risk medications) rather than patient-centered outcomes in individuals living with dementia. Furthermore, most studies focused on addressing inappropriate polypharmacy in older adults with dementia living in long-term care facilities, and interventions did not involve the person and their carer. Further evidence on the impact of deprescribing in this population across clinical settings is needed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1367-1382
Number of pages16
JournalExpert Review of Clinical Pharmacology
Volume14
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

  • Deprescribing
  • dementia
  • deprescribing in practice
  • medication withdrawal
  • older adults
  • polypharmacy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics
  • Pharmacology (medical)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The value of deprescribing in older adults with dementia: a narrative review'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this