What is "deprescribing"

Deprescribing refers to the reduction in dose and/or stopping of medication that may be causing harm, may no longer be providing benefit, or may be considered inappropriate. The process of deprescribing should be planned and supervised by health care professionals. The goal of deprescribing is to reduce medication burden and harm, while maintaining or improving quality of life. It is often applied for those with chronic conditions, for the elderly and for those who have a limited life expectancy. In all of these situations, certain medications may contribute to an increased risk of adverse events, and people may benefit from a reduction in medication use.

The term inappropriate medication designates medications that, for a given patient, present a high risk of adverse events, are no longer required, or have an unfavourable risk:benefit ratio, i.e., potential harm outweighs benefits.