Older adults can benefit from the process of deprescribing

Older adults can benefit from the process of deprescribing

Topic: Deprescribing

Older adults can benefit from the process of deprescribing or reducing the number of prescribed medications by weighing the benefits and the risks of each drug. Review the article by Lai & Fok (2017) and apply the 5 step process to a patient from your clinical experience. Be sure to choose a patient over age 65 that takes >7 medications. Address whether each medication remains appropriate for this patient or if you think it can be discontinued. Provide rationales for your decisions.

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Deprescribing Drugs for Older Adults
America’s aging population is increasing as the baby boomers enter retirement age. America alone had over 47 million seniors in 2015, and the number is expected to double to 98.2 million in 2060 (Colby & Ortman, 2017). This aging population, however, comes with drug-related problems. One of the most prominent issues among patients over 65 years is polypharmacy, which refers to the prescription of more than six regularly scheduled medications.

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