Assessing Physicians' Perspectives on Deprescribing in the Elderly Population: Combatting Polypharmacy

Introduction: Deprescribing is a physician-led approach to mitigating polypharmacy, particularly among the elderly, to lower adverse events and medication errors. This study explores physicians' attitudes, practices, and barriers to deprescribing. Methods: A cross-sectional survey, framed by existing literature and expert insights, was conducted among 150 physicians to gather data on their experiences with deprescribing, along with associated motivators and barriers. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were utilized to identify factors influencing deprescribing practices. Results: Weekly deprescribing was practiced by 44% of participants and was associated with the average number of patients seen (p=0.048) and patient age group (p=0.019). Key motivators included cost reduction (70%) and decreased pill burden (66%), while barriers included time constraints (52%) and adherence to prescribing guidelines (50%). Prescribing guidelines (68%) and multidisciplinary approaches (40%) were proposed as suggestions by physicians. Conclusion: Addressing barriers through structured guidelines, adequate time allocation, and multidisciplinary collaboration could enhance deprescribing practices.