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Open Access 29-10-2024 | Opioids | Current Opinion

Minimising Harm and Managing Pain: Deprescribing Opioids in Older Adults

Authors: Aili V. Langford, Carl R. Schneider, Emily Reeve, Danijela Gnjidic

Published in: Drugs & Aging

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Abstract

Approximately one in three older adults (aged 65 years and over) experience pain, negatively impacting their quality of life. Opioid analgesics are commonly prescribed to manage pain; however, balancing the benefits and harms of these high-risk analgesics can be challenging for both healthcare professionals and patients. This is particularly true for older adults, as factors such as polypharmacy, age-related physiological changes and cognitive decline may impact upon opioid safety and efficacy. Deprescribing is the patient-centred process of reducing or discontinuing a medication that is no longer appropriate, or where the risks of continuation are deemed to outweigh the anticipated benefits. Opioid deprescribing has been proposed as a mechanism to reduce individual and societal opioid-related harm; however, to date, research has predominantly focused on the general adult population, rather than older adults. This current opinion aims to summarise the existing opioid deprescribing literature, discussing its applicability for older adults. Drawing on a non-systematic review of the literature, it identifies unique challenges and considerations for this population, highlights international initiatives to enhance opioid deprescribing in clinical practice and proposes future directions to advance the field.
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Metadata
Title
Minimising Harm and Managing Pain: Deprescribing Opioids in Older Adults
Authors
Aili V. Langford
Carl R. Schneider
Emily Reeve
Danijela Gnjidic
Publication date
29-10-2024
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Keywords
Opioids
Opioids
Published in
Drugs & Aging
Print ISSN: 1170-229X
Electronic ISSN: 1179-1969
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40266-024-01154-5

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