Citation

van Poelgeest E, van der Velde N. Eur. Geriatr. Med. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1007/s41999-023-00845-3

PMID

37542645

Abstract

We are excited to present this themed issue on rational prescribing and deprescribing of medications in older adults with an increased fall risk. Fall-risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs) are widely prescribed to older adults: 65-93% of older adults with fall-related injury use at least one FRID [1]. Literature shows that a medication review and appropriate deprescribing is one of the most effective components of the multifactorial fall-preventive intervention [2]. The recently published World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management [3], therefore, recommend performing a comprehensive medication review as part of a multifactorial falls prevention program. An important component in this assessment constitutes a comprehensive medication review for weighing the benefits and harms of prescribed medications for the individual patient. Yet, in clinical practice, managing polypharmacy and deprescribing FRIDs after a fall incident in older adults is often highly challenging, and less frequently performed than expected [1, 4,5,6]. In part, this is explained by health care professionals being reluctant to deprescribe medications in general [7, 8], and FRIDs in particular [5, 9]. The need to improve rational pharmacotherapy of high-risk medications in older, multimorbid adults at risk of falling has motivated us to write this themed issue on (de)prescribing FRIDs. We provide the practicing clinician with practical resources, tools, tips, and tricks for safe FRID (de)prescribing, minimizing adverse drug reactions, and achieving optimal risk benefit ratio for individual patients.

Language: en