Deprescribing Medicines
1h 15m
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Course Overview
It is well known that polypharmacy has the potential to result in adverse events for patients. Therefore, the prescribing process must not only include a review, but also the cessation of medicines. This Course looks at polypharmacy and deprescribing.
Topics include:
- Incidence of medication use
- Polypharmacy and principles of deprescribing
- Barriers to deprescribing
- Classes of medicines for deprescribing
- Planning withdrawal
Target audience
Nurse practitioners and other health professionals who prescribe medications or are heavily involved in medication management.
Purpose
Confidently consider whether to continue, reduce or cease medications that are not effective or may no longer be appropriate for a particular person.
Need
It is well known that polypharmacy has the potential to result in adverse events for patients. Therefore, the prescribing process must not only include a review, but also the cessation of medicines. Cessation of medications may be a particularly appropriate action in certain clinical situations amongst older adults.
There is a need for education on how to safely and appropriately review a patient’s medication regime, and cease unnecessary medicines, as this can lead to an improved quality of life for patients.
Learning Outcomes
- Correlate the challenges of an ageing population with medication use and polypharmacy
- Explain to the patient or their carer the rationale for deprescribing medicines as indicated
- Critically evaluate medicines that are at higher risk of causing older adults to experience medication-related problems
- Plan and initiate a withdrawal trial taking into account medicines that should be ceased slowly
Disclosure
No conflict of interest exists for anyone in the position to control content for this activity. Wherever possible, generic or non-proprietary names of medications or products have been used.
Educator
Jenny Gowan
Jenny Gowan, a practising pharmacist, is a teaching associate at Monash University, Melbourne and a clinical associate of RMIT University. She is a member of the PSA Branch committee, the Expert Group for Therapeutic Guidelines – Respiratory version 5, an editorial board member of AUS-DI, SHPA "Don’t Rush to Crush", the Guidelines Committee for the Australian Asthma Handbook (AAH) and the writing group for the RACGP ‘Medical Care of older persons in RACF’ (Silver book). Jenny is an accredited consultant pharmacist who conducts her own company, which focuses on medication reviews in the home and aged care facilities, plus education, writing, training, and consultation. Jenny works regularly in community pharmacy plus sessions in a GP clinic at a Community Health Centre. She has published over 400 educational articles. Jenny has presented talks at many Australian and international conferences to GPs, nurse practitioners, nurses, podiatrists, pharmacists, and other health professionals. In 2013, she was awarded the Australian Pharmacist of the Year by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and, in 2016, the AACP-MIMs Australian Consultant Pharmacist of the Year.
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Further Learning
Learner Reviews
Melanie Dunstan
This was easy to understand and relevant to my role as a nurse practitioner
Ada Lim
Goid topic
Marian Galpin
Interesting and informative.
Carleen Watson
Very well presented course, with a lot of relevant infomration.
Emily Branson
Overall interesting resource.
Cheryl Carpenter
very good
Amanpreet Kaur
This is relevant source of information
Brydie Grossman
Very informative
Lisa Lising Reyes
Excellent topic
Beverly Salt
The fuvdrde content of the course gave me food for thought. Polypharmacy is a common problem, and can lead to diagnosis of diabetes .By holdingprifessuinal discussions in the workplace ideas can be brought together, and deduced .
43 Total Rating(s)