First do no harm: a real need to deprescribe in older patients

Kouladjian, Lisa; Chen, Timothy F; Hilmer, Sarah N

doi:10.5694/mja14.01486

Topics

We enthusiastically welcome Scott and colleagues' article highlighting the real need to deprescribe in older patients;1 however, we would like to emphasise the role of validated tools and medication management reviews in deprescribing.

1 University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW.
2 Royal North Shore Hospital Sydney, NSW.

Correspondence: lisa.kouladjian@sydney.edu.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

1. Scott IA, Anderson K, Freeman CR, Stowasser D. First do no harm: a real need to deprescibe in older patients. Med J Aust 2014; 201: 390-392. <MJA full text>
2. Gnjidic D, Le Couteur DG, Kouladjian L, Hilmer SN. Deprescribing trials: methods to reduce polypharmacy and the impact on prescribing and clinical outcomes. Clin Geriatr Med 2012; 28: 237-253.
3. Nishtala PS, Hilmer SN, McLachlan AJ, et al. Impact of residential medication management reviews on drug burden index in aged-care homes: a retrospective analysis. Drugs Aging 2009; 26: 677-686.
4. Castelino RL, Hilmer SN, Bajorek BV, et al. Drug Burden Index and potentially inappropriate medications in community-dwelling older people: the impact of Home Medicines Review. Drugs Aging 2010; 27: 135-148.
5. Carter SR, Moles R, White L, Chen TF. Exploring patients' motivation to participate in Australia's Home Medicines Review Program. Int J Clin Pharm 2012; 34: 658-666.

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