Deprescribing in Older People: A Clinical Practice Guideline Summary
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Older people face higher risks of medicine-related harm due to polypharmacy and the use of potentially inappropriate medicines. Current treatment guidelines rarely specify when to stop medicines, leading to medicines often being continued indefinitely without a clear deprescribing plan. While deprescribing guidelines exist for some medicine classes, limited guidance is a major barrier to deprescribing. These new guidelines address this gap by providing structured recommendations that complement more detailed drug-specific deprescribing guidance, disease-specific therapeutic guidelines and non-pharmacological management resources. These guidelines were developed by a team of 72 experts, including consumer representatives, and were further shaped by feedback from public consultation and independent reviewers. MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS: The guidelines are intended for all healthcare professionals involved in prescribing, dispensing or administering medicines to older people. The guidelines specifically address polypharmacy and medicines commonly dispensed for regular use in people aged ≥ 65 years, as well as other medicines where there is evidence to consider deprescribing in this cohort. The guidelines provide 185 consensus-based recommendations and 70 good practice statements, covering both specific medicine categories and general deprescribing principles. The guidelines are structured into four areas: (1) when to deprescribe; (2) ongoing treatment needs; (3) how to deprescribe; and (4) monitoring requirements. CHANGES IN CARE AS A RESULT OF THE GUIDELINE: This guideline emphasises deprescribing as an integral part of the prescribing continuum. Applying a deprescribing approach encourages prescribers to consider the ongoing need for a medicine each time a prescription is re-issued, to balance benefits and harms as they evolve over time, and to ensure treatment decisions reflect an individual's goals through shared decision-making. The guideline was developed based on currently available evidence for deprescribing and expert multidisciplinary and consumer input. It supports health professionals in reviewing regular medicines, minimising harm and planning ongoing treatment or monitoring. The detailed guideline is available at https://deprescribing.com.
Source: The Medical Journal of Australia
DOI: 10.5694/mja2.70174
Authors: Hui Wen Quek, Xisco Reus Perello, Kenneth Lee, Atinuke Abraham, Leon A. Adams, Osvaldo P. Almeida, Hend Almutairi, Bree Armstrong, Leanne Boase, Juanita Breen, Lauren J. Brown, Gillian E. Caughey, Lewis W. Chan, Roger Chen, Edward Chew, Antony Clark, Tracy Comans, Deirdre Criddle, Pēteris Dārziņš, Paresh Dawda, Jenny A. Doust, Sue Edwards, Jennifer Gowan, Kerryn Hart, Deborah Hawthorne, Andrew Heredia, Anne‐Marie Hill, Jesse Jansen, Lisa Kalisch Ellett, Helen Keen, Erin A. Kelty, Ngaire M. Kerse, Estie Kruger, Susan E. Kurrle, Howard Lance, Adam Livori, Rebecca Livori, Dina C. LoGiudice, Arduino A. Mangoni, Anthony Marinucci, Nilufeur McKay, Allison M. Mckendrick, Andrew J. McLachlan, Treasure M. McGuire, Stewart Mearns, Mark Morgan, Saba Nabi, Vasi Naganathan, Elaine Newman, Christopher A. C. M. Ng, Maz Osborne, Ray Parkin, Kevan R. Polkinghorne, Constance Dimity Pond, Kathleen Potter, Debbie Rigby, Debra Rowett, Amina Schipp, Veronika Seda, Jessica Seeto, Sepehr Shakib, Angela Shiu, Andrew C. Stafford, Irene J. Tan, Marc Tennant, Leanne Teoh, Stephen Tucker, John D. G. Watson, Donna Wellins, Tim Whitmore, Christopher Etherton‐Beer, Amy T. Page
Institutions: The University of Western Australia, Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, The University of Notre Dame Australia, University of Tasmania, Wicking Dementia Centre, The University of Sydney, Blacktown & Mount Druitt Hospital, Westmead Hospital, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, UNSW Sydney, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Lions Eye Institute, The University of Queensland, National Ageing Research Institute, Fiona Stanley Hospital, South Metropolitan Health Service, Eastern Health, Monash University, University of Canberra, Repatriation General Hospital, Deakin University, Australian Dental Association, Maastricht University, Care and Public Health Research Institute, University of South Australia, Australian Rheumatology Association, University of Auckland, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, National Health and Medical Research Council, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Grampians Health, The University of Melbourne, Flinders University, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Edith Cowan University, Royal Perth Hospital, Bond University, Royal Darwin Hospital, Monash Health, Queensland University of Technology, SA Health, Pharmacy Guild of Australia, The University of Adelaide, Advanced Pharmacy Australia, Austin Health, Curtin University, Northern Health, Australian Podiatry Association, Australian Diabetes Educators Association
Language: English
Subfield: Geriatrics and Gerontology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,400
OpenAlex ID: W7151382974