Majority of Older Americans Interested in “Deprescribing”

In a new poll, the majority of older adults said they are interested in cutting back on prescription medications, which reflects a growing trend of “deprescribing.”

In the National Poll on Healthy Aging by the University of Michigan, researchers polled a sample of adults aged 50-80 and asked about their medication use and experiences with stopping prescription medications. Four in five (80%) adults in this age group reported taking at least one prescription medication in a typical week, with 26% taking three or four prescription medications and 28% taking five or more medications.

When asked whether they sometimes think they take too many medications, 28% of respondents agreed, with those who reported having a health problem or disability that limits their daily activities being likely to agree they take too many medications (42% vs. 20% among those without a health problem or disability that limits their daily activities).

Among those who take prescription medication, 80% would be willing to stop taking one or more medications if their health care provider said it was possible, and 26% had stopped taking at least one prescription medication that they had taken for more than a year. When asked which prescription medication they would be most interested in stopping, respondents most frequently named medications for treatment or prevention of heart disease (e.g., medication for high blood pressure or high cholesterol) (43%), diabetes (13%), or pain management (10%).

Deprescribing is a growing movement, and an important strategy to ensure that older adults are not taking unnecessary medications. Effective and safe deprescribing uses a patient-centered, collaborative process that includes both the patient and the health care provider, and sometimes family members, caregivers, or patient advocates. Older adults who are interested in exploring whether any of their medications can be deprescribed should talk with their health care provider to ensure it is safe and helpful to do so.