PolypharmacyNCT03354845
Deprescribing of Symptomatic Medications in Rehabilitative or Subacute Care Patients
A study testing Deprescribing intervention in people with Polypharmacy and Adverse Drug Reaction, run by Bright Vision Hospital.
Trial summary
Deprescribing is a systematic method of withdrawing potentially inappropriate or unnecessary medications and is warranted in the elderly due to the high prevalence of polypharmacy. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Polypharmacy, Adverse Drug Reaction
- What is being tested?
- Deprescribing intervention
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 200 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 5 Apr 2016to 31 Jan 2018
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- All patients, regardless of age, who were on at least one of the following target symptomatic control medications for deprescribing: acid suppressants/proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), laxatives, analgesics (paracetamol, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), codeine, tramadol) and antiemetics
Who cannot join
- Patients with terminal illness or cancer and patients with documented clinically significant dementia and had no accompanying caregiver
About this study
Official title: Deprescribing of Symptomatic Medications in Patients Receiving Rehabilitative or Subacute Care
Deprescribing is a systematic method of withdrawing potentially inappropriate or unnecessary medications and is warranted in the elderly due to the high prevalence of polypharmacy. In particular, symptomatic control medications, such as acid suppressants, laxatives and painkillers, are frequently prescribed and continued, though such medications are rarely needed on a long-term basis.
Therefore, the study objectives were to determine the cost savings, effects and feasibility of implementing a systematic process of deprescribing medications for symptomatic management, namely, acid suppressants, laxatives, analgesics, and antiemetics.
Read the detailed description
Deprescribing is a systematic process of identifying and withdrawing drugs, which are potentially or currently causing more harm than benefit to patients, based on each individual patient's condition, treatment goals and level of functioning. Deprescribing needs to be patient-centric with shared decision-making between patients or caregivers and the multidisciplinary care team. Five distinct steps of deprescribing have been elucidated, and they comprise: 1) performing a comprehensive patient medical/medication history; 2) considering the overall risk and appropriateness of drugs; 3) assessing possibility of and planning drug discontinuation; 4) initiating and documenting drug discontinuation; and 5) monitoring effects and providing patient support.
Deprescribing is necessary in elderly aged 65 years and above due to the higher prevalence of polypharmacy and unnecessary and inappropriate medication use, compared to younger age groups. In Singapore, statistics from an acute restructured hospital in 2013 showed that 50 percent or more of inpatients were discharged with at least five chronic medications.
The discontinuation of medications has been trialled in earlier studies without causing significant adverse effects or symptom recurrence. Positive outcomes demonstrated include enhanced cognition, improved health and reduced falls. However, it is necessary to investigate the effects and feasibility of deprescribing in the present local setting, where healthcare perceptions, and associations between medication discontinuation and patient clinical outcomes may be different from other studied populations.
Therefore, this randomized controlled intervention study was conducted in a community hospital in Singapore to determine the cost savings, effects and feasibility of implementing a systematic process of deprescribing medications for symptomatic management, namely, acid suppressants, laxatives, analgesics, and antiemetics.
- Conditions
- Polypharmacy, Adverse Drug Reaction
- Being tested
- Deprescribing intervention
- Medical subject headings
- Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Deprescribing interventionOther
Also called Systematic deprescribing, Deprescribing algorithm, Five-step patient-centred deprescribing process
Pharmacists assessed the appropriateness of target symptomatic medications and potential for discontinuation. After discussion with pharmacists and consideration of patients' and caregivers' preferences regarding discontinuation or dose reduction, doctors would deprescribe these symptomatic medications. Symptom recurrence, adverse drug withdrawal events (ADWEs), and the need for drug re-initiation or initiation of new symptomatic control medications after deprescribing were monitored and documented in the 1st, 2nd and 6th weeks.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control (usual care) group | No intervention | In the control group, doctors maintained the usual practice of medication review, altering and discontinuing medications as necessary, without receiving deprescribing recommendations from pharmacists. |
| Deprescribing intervention group | Other | The five-step patient-centred deprescribing process was utilized in the intervention group. Receives: Other: Deprescribing intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Cost savings
Reduction in the cost of one month of medications
Measured: 6 weeks
Secondary outcomes (4)
Number of medications
Reduction in the total number of medications
Measured: 6 weeks
Change in bowel movement following deprescribing
Adverse effect of constipation indicated by no bowel movement in the past two days (BNO ≥2/7)
Measured: 6 weeks
Adverse consequences of deprescribing
Symptom recurrence, adverse drug withdrawal events (ADWEs), and the need for deprescribed medications to be restarted or initiation of new symptomatic control medications after deprescribing
Measured: 6 weeks
Feasibility of implementation
Time required to complete the deprescribing process and the limitations and challenges encountered
Measured: 6 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 Nov 2017
- Study start5 Apr 2016
- Primary completion21 Feb 2017
- Study completion31 Jan 2018 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (4)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for PolypharmacyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- The study was conducted as an open trial with two parallel groups. A total of 200 patients were randomized to an intervention (deprescribing) or control (usual care) group in a 1:1 ratio. Randomization of patients was performed after recruitment by an independent administrator using GraphPad randomization sequence software ©2017. Doctors were free to make any changes to patients' medication regimens as they wished in both groups.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Bright Vision Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Charissa Ee, Bright Vision Hospital
- Investigators
- Charissa Ee (Pharmacist), Principal investigator, Bright Vision Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03354845
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2016/2149
- Status last verified
- Nov 2017
- First submitted
- 22 Nov 2017
- Last updated
- 28 Nov 2017
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Scott IA, Hilmer SN, Reeve E, Potter K, Le Couteur D, Rigby D, Gnjidic D, Del Mar CB, Roughead EE, Page A, Jansen J, Martin JH. Reducing inappropriate polypharmacy: the process of deprescribing. JAMA Intern Med. 2015 May;175(5):827-34. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.0324.
PubMed 25798731Reeve E, Shakib S, Hendrix I, Roberts MS, Wiese MD. Review of deprescribing processes and development of an evidence-based, patient-centred deprescribing process. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2014 Oct;78(4):738-47. doi: 10.1111/bcp.12386.
PubMed 24661192Garfinkel D, Zur-Gil S, Ben-Israel J. The war against polypharmacy: a new cost-effective geriatric-palliative approach for improving drug therapy in disabled elderly people. Isr Med Assoc J. 2007 Jun;9(6):430-4.
PubMed 17642388Reeve E, Andrews JM, Wiese MD, Hendrix I, Roberts MS, Shakib S. Feasibility of a patient-centered deprescribing process to reduce inappropriate use of proton pump inhibitors. Ann Pharmacother. 2015 Jan;49(1):29-38. doi: 10.1177/1060028014558290. Epub 2014 Nov 10.
PubMed 25385826
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Nov 2017. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Deprescribing of Symptomatic Medications in Patients Receiving Rehabilitative or Subacute Care
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03354845
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2016/2149
- Conditions
- Polypharmacy, Adverse Drug Reaction
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Bright Vision HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 5 Apr 2016 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 21 Feb 2017 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Jan 2018 (estimated)
- First posted
- 28 Nov 2017 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Deprescribing is a systematic method of withdrawing potentially inappropriate or unnecessary medications and is warranted in the elderly due to the high prevalence of polypharmacy. In particular, symptomatic control medications, such as acid suppressants, laxatives and painkillers, are frequently prescribed and continued, though such medications are rarely needed on a long-term basis.
Therefore, the study objectives were to determine the cost savings, effects and feasibility of implementing a systematic process of deprescribing medications for symptomatic management, namely, acid suppressants, laxatives, analgesics, and antiemetics.
Detailed description
Deprescribing is a systematic process of identifying and withdrawing drugs, which are potentially or currently causing more harm than benefit to patients, based on each individual patient's condition, treatment goals and level of functioning. Deprescribing needs to be patient-centric with shared decision-making between patients or caregivers and the multidisciplinary care team. Five distinct steps of deprescribing have been elucidated, and they comprise: 1) performing a comprehensive patient medical/medication history; 2) considering the overall risk and appropriateness of drugs; 3) assessing possibility of and planning drug discontinuation; 4) initiating and documenting drug discontinuation; and 5) monitoring effects and providing patient support.
Deprescribing is necessary in elderly aged 65 years and above due to the higher prevalence of polypharmacy and unnecessary and inappropriate medication use, compared to younger age groups. In Singapore, statistics from an acute restructured hospital in 2013 showed that 50 percent or more of inpatients were discharged with at least five chronic medications.
The discontinuation of medications has been trialled in earlier studies without causing significant adverse effects or symptom recurrence. Positive outcomes demonstrated include enhanced cognition, improved health and reduced falls. However, it is necessary to investigate the effects and feasibility of deprescribing in the present local setting, where healthcare perceptions, and associations between medication discontinuation and patient clinical outcomes may be different from other studied populations.
Therefore, this randomized controlled intervention study was conducted in a community hospital in Singapore to determine the cost savings, effects and feasibility of implementing a systematic process of deprescribing medications for symptomatic management, namely, acid suppressants, laxatives, analgesics, and antiemetics.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- The study was conducted as an open trial with two parallel groups. A total of 200 patients were randomized to an intervention (deprescribing) or control (usual care) group in a 1:1 ratio. Randomization of patients was performed after recruitment by an independent administrator using GraphPad randomization sequence software ©2017. Doctors were free to make any changes to patients' medication regimens as they wished in both groups.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control (usual care) group | No intervention | –In the control group, doctors maintained the usual practice of medication review, altering and discontinuing medications as necessary, without receiving deprescribing recommendations from pharmacists. |
| Deprescribing intervention group | Other | Other: Deprescribing interventionThe five-step patient-centred deprescribing process was utilized in the intervention group. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- All patients, regardless of age, who were on at least one of the following target symptomatic control medications for deprescribing: acid suppressants/proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), laxatives, analgesics (paracetamol, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), codeine, tramadol) and antiemetics
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Patients with terminal illness or cancer and patients with documented clinically significant dementia and had no accompanying caregiver
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Deprescribing interventionAlso: Systematic deprescribing, Deprescribing algorithm, Five-step patient-centred deprescribing processPharmacists assessed the appropriateness of target symptomatic medications and potential for discontinuation. After discussion with pharmacists and consideration of patients' and caregivers' preferences regarding discontinuation or dose reduction, doctors would deprescribe these symptomatic medications. Symptom recurrence, adverse drug withdrawal events (ADWEs), and the need for drug re-initiation or initiation of new symptomatic control medications after deprescribing were monitored and documented in the 1st, 2nd and 6th weeks. | Other | Deprescribing intervention group |
Primary outcome
Cost savings
Time frame: 6 weeks
Reduction in the cost of one month of medications
4 secondary outcomes
Number of medications
Time frame: 6 weeks
Change in bowel movement following deprescribing
Time frame: 6 weeks
Adverse consequences of deprescribing
Time frame: 6 weeks
Feasibility of implementation
Time frame: 6 weeks
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Nov 2017.
- Background: PubMed 25798731Scott IA, Hilmer SN, Reeve E, Potter K, Le Couteur D, Rigby D, Gnjidic D, Del Mar CB, Roughead EE, Page A, Jansen J, Martin JH. Reducing inappropriate polypharmacy: the process of deprescribing. JAMA Intern Med. 2015 May;175(5):827-34. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.0324.
- Background: PubMed 24661192Reeve E, Shakib S, Hendrix I, Roberts MS, Wiese MD. Review of deprescribing processes and development of an evidence-based, patient-centred deprescribing process. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2014 Oct;78(4):738-47. doi: 10.1111/bcp.12386.
- Results publication: PubMed 17642388Garfinkel D, Zur-Gil S, Ben-Israel J. The war against polypharmacy: a new cost-effective geriatric-palliative approach for improving drug therapy in disabled elderly people. Isr Med Assoc J. 2007 Jun;9(6):430-4.
- Results publication: PubMed 25385826Reeve E, Andrews JM, Wiese MD, Hendrix I, Roberts MS, Shakib S. Feasibility of a patient-centered deprescribing process to reduce inappropriate use of proton pump inhibitors. Ann Pharmacother. 2015 Jan;49(1):29-38. doi: 10.1177/1060028014558290. Epub 2014 Nov 10.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Charissa Ee (Pharmacist) principal investigator
Bright Vision Hospital
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Deprescribing intervention in people with Polypharmacy and Adverse Drug Reaction, run by Bright Vision Hospital.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Nov 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Cost savings (time frame: 6 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03354845, which also lists 4 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Nov 2017; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.