ArticlePloS one2016
Challenges and Enablers of Deprescribing: A General Practitioner Perspective.
Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 102 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
102 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 213 citations in OpenAlex.
- Barriers and facilitators to deprescribing of cardiovascular medications: a systematic review.BMJ open · 2022Pooled it
- Consumer Attitudes Towards Deprescribing: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2022Pooled it
- Deprescribing Opioids in Chronic Non-cancer Pain: Systematic Review of Randomised Trials.Drugs · 2020Pooled it
- General practitioner strategies for managing patients with multimorbidity: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative research.BMC family practice · 2020Pooled it
- Health care professionals' attitudes towards deprescribing in older patients with limited life expectancy: A systematic review.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2019Pooled it
- Trial
- Ethical Aspects of Physician Decision-Making for Deprescribing Among Older Adults With Dementia.JAMA network open · 2023Trial
- Deprescribing Anticholinergic and Sedative Drugs to Reduce Polypharmacy in Frail Older Adults Living in the Community: A Randomized Controlled Trial.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2023Trial
- Direct-to-consumer strategies to promote deprescribing in primary care: a pilot study.BMC primary care · 2022Trial
- Impact of a pharmacist-administered deprescribing intervention on nursing home residents: a randomized controlled trial.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2020Trial
- DEFEAT-polypharmacy: deprescribing anticholinergic and sedative medicines feasibility trial in residential aged care facilities.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2019Trial
- Implementing a conversation-starter tool to empower people with dementia and carers to have medicine conversations: a pilot and feasibility study.The Gerontologist · 2026Article
- A Gift of the Magi Paradox? Patient and Clinician Perspectives on Deprescribing.Journal of general internal medicine · 2026Article
- Evaluating the implementation of a deprescribing intervention in Swiss nursing homes: An observational study using qualitative and quantitative methods.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2026Article
- Article
- Barriers to and facilitators of deprescribing for older people in secondary care in Saudi Arabia: a qualitative study using a theory-based approach.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Anti-vertigo drug prescribing for patients with vestibular symptoms in primary care: a retrospective observational cohort study.BJGP open · 2025Article
- Primary care physicians' preferences for implementation strategies of deprescribing among patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy in China: a qualitative study.BMC primary care · 2025Article
- Exploration of Perceptions of Deprescribing Practices Among Doctors in a Low- and Middle-Income Country: A Mixed-Methods Study.Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology · 2025Article
- Attitudes of Australian patients receiving inpatient mental health care towards deprescribing: a cross-sectional survey.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
42 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimsDeprescribing is the process of reducing or discontinuing medicines that are unnecessary or deemed to be harmful. We aimed to investigate general practitioner (GP) perceived challenges to deprescribing in residential care and the possible enablers that support GPs to implement deprescribing.
methodsA qualitative study was undertaken using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews from two cities in New Zealand and a purpose-developed pilot-tested interview schedule. Interviews were recorded with permission and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were read and re-read and themes were identified with iterative building of a coding list until all data was accounted for. Interviews continued until saturation of ideas occurred. Analysis was carried out with the assistance of a Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and constant comparison techniques. Several themes were identified. Challenges and enablers of deprescribing were determined based on participants' answers.
resultsTen GPs agreed to participate. Four themes were identified to define the issues around prescribing for older people, from the GPs' perspectives. Theme 1, the 'recognition of the problem', discusses the difficulties involved with prescribing for older people. Theme 2 outlines the identified behaviour change factors relevant to the problem. Deprescribing challenges were drawn from these factors and summarised in Theme 3 under three major headings; 'prescribing factors', 'social influences' and 'policy and processes'. Deprescribing enablers, based on the opinions and professional experience of GPs, were retrieved and summarised in Theme 4.
conclusionThe process of deprescribing is laced with many challenges for GPs. The uncertainty of research evidence in older people and social factors such as specialists' and nurses' influences were among the major challenges identified. Deprescribing enablers encompassed support for GPs' awareness and knowledge, improvement of communication between multiple prescribers, adequate reimbursement and pharmacists being involved in the multidisciplinary team.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.