Polypharmacy refers to taking five or more regularly scheduled medications, but many of our patients take significantly more than that. In fact, one in four Canadian seniors take 10 or more drug classes on a regular basis.

Sometimes this is both appropriate and beneficial to the patient; but sometimes, the risks of polypharmacy can outweigh the benefits. Polypharmacy has been associated with increased drug interactions, adverse drug events, reduced quality of life, increased hospitalizations, decreased adherence, and even mortality.

In this course, you will learn how deprescribing can mitigate polypharmacy, minimize unnecessary risks, and help patients wean off medications that are no longer necessary or creating adverse effects. You will learn strategies for safe deprescribing, and how to address common barriers and provide effective patient support. You’ll also gain a step-by-step walkthrough of the deprescribing process, tools to use with patients, and tips for incorporating this into your daily practice.

The course will also cover: 

• Tips for difficult-to-stop medications 
• Medication classes to watch for 
• Factors that may increase withdrawal risk 
• Hyperbolic tapering techniques 
• Patient education and engagement tools 
• A case study walkthrough to apply what you’ve learned 

After completing this course, you will have the detailed knowledge and tools to optimize patient health by making deprescribing a regular part of your practice.