Deprescribing in the Last Year of Life

Polypharmacy and adverse drug reactions are common with ageing. Deprescribing or ceasing unnecessary or harmful medications is an important component of aged care practice, especially in the final year of life. Changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics with ageing can affect decisions about deprescribing. Similarly, the balance between risk and benefit for medications is often altered in patients in their final year of life and needs to be taken into account. There is evidence for medicines that can be safely ceased abruptly and medicines that need to be weaned. An individualised approach is required to assess prognosis, trajectory of decline and therapeutic goals for each patient. An algorithm is provided in this review to guide safe, rational deprescribing for patients who are believed to be in their last year of life. J Pharm Pract Res 2011; 41: 146-51.