TY - JOUR T1 - Deprescribing one year on: challenging the first iatrogenic epidemic JF - European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy JO - Eur J Hosp Pharm SP - 63 LP - 64 DO - 10.1136/ejhpharm-2017-001482 VL - 25 IS - 2 AU - Nina Barnett AU - Doron Garfinkel Y1 - 2018/03/01 UR - http://ejhp.bmj.com/content/25/2/63.abstract N2 - In January 2017 EJHP published a themed issue on the subject of deprescribing, a ‘hot topic’ for clinicians who are challenged with managing inappropriate medication use and polypharmacy. However, it was clear that, despite the enthusiasm of clinicians to manage this issue, there was a paucity of validated tools for use in practice and knowledge of the patient’s view of deprescribing.A literature search on this subject has revealed some interesting developments during 2016/7. Deprescribing in specific therapeutic areas and new deprescribing tools have been explored, as well as publications on both patient and general practitioner beliefs about and attitudes to deprescribing. In diabetes, medication for care home residents in the UK was reviewed using a medicines optimisation tool. The majority had been prescribed potentially inappropriate medication. Deprescribing was endorsed by the physician in over one-third of cases (39% of 106 residents).1 Another study involving deprescribing of benzodiazepines and ’Z drugs' in primary care described how the switching rate was higher than the deprescribing rate when a tool was used to support review.2 Effective deprescribing in a haemodialysis unit was undertaken using a bespoke tool resulting in 88% of eligible patients (n=41) having at least one medication deprescribed.3 The Tool to Reduce Inappropriate Medicines (known as TRIM), has been used to link electronic health records to clinical decision … Correspondence to Professor Nina Barnett, Medicines Use and Safety, NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service, London North West Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow HA1 3UJ, UK; nina.barnett{at}nhs.net ER -