Deprescribing as a strategy for improving safety of medicines in older people: Clinical and regulatory perspective

The ageing process is associated with an increased probability of accumulating health deficits, chronic conditions and geriatric syndromes, leading to a growing prevalence multimorbidity, defined as the co-occurrence two or more (of which, at least one physical condition). One most frequent direct consequences especially amongst older adults, polypharmacy, condition characterized by concomitant use five drugs per day. Polypharmacy main risk factors for adverse clinical outcomes, including drug-drug interactions drug reactions, also resulting in hospitalizations, morbidity, healthcare resources, considerable implications costs. Deprescribing potential approaches reduce inappropriate prescribing it stopping dose reduction medications that are either unnecessary, among patients polypharmacy. In this review, major issues polypharmacy people, current guidelines management strategies implement deprescribing different settings (i.e., hospital setting, nursing homes general practice) discussed.