Medication Deprescribing at End of Life in the Long-Term Care Population (QI714)

Polypharmacy, generally defined as taking five or more medications, is the leading cause of adverse drug events (ADEs) for older adults and affects as many as 95% of patients residing in long-term care (LTC). Nearly half of all patients nearing the end of life take ten or more medications per day. Deprescribing is the systematic reduction of inappropriate, unnecessary, or harmful medications by healthcare providers. Goals for deprescribing include improved patient outcomes, increased patient satisfaction, and enhanced patient safety.

Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management - February 23, 2021 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Theresa Isaacs Source Type: research