DETERMINANTS OF PERCEIVED MEDICATION BURDEN AND DEPRESCRIBING WILLINGNESS IN OLDER ADULTS WITH POLYPHARMACY
Author(s)
shaoxi pan, MS1, Beini Lyu2, Hongyan Wu, PhD3, yuzhi han4, luyi chen3;
1Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Department of Health Economics and Medical Insurance, Chongqing, China, 2Peking University, Beijing, China, 3Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China, 4USA
1Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Department of Health Economics and Medical Insurance, Chongqing, China, 2Peking University, Beijing, China, 3Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China, 4USA
OBJECTIVES: It is well-recognized that polypharmacy leads to increased healthcare utilization and financial burden on patients. However, there are relatively few studies on older adults’ subjective medication burden and key determinants influencing the implementation of deprescribing remain scarce. The aim of this study therefore characterizes the current medication profile of community-dwelling older adults, identifies factors affecting deprescribing, and elucidates patient attitudes toward medication reduction.
METHODS: We randomly enrolled community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 60 years from three cities in Guizhou Province between August and October 2025. Polypharmacy was defined as the concurrent use of ≥ five prescription medications. Patient-level variables included age, sex, educational attainment, economic status, medication satisfaction, and self-perceived medication burden. The primary outcome—attitude toward deprescribing—was assessed with the single validated item: “If your doctor said it was possible, would you be willing to stop one or more of your regular medicines?”
RESULTS: We included 542 participants, with mean age of 79.2 years (95% CI: 70.3-88.1) and 46.7% female. 57.0% perceived themselves as “taking too many medicines,” and 92.4% were willing to discontinue at least one regular medication. Older adults with polypharmacy were almost three times as likely to believe they were taking one or more unnecessary drugs (odds ratio,2.87[1.83-4.49]). When physicians explicitly stated that “it is possible to reduce one or more medicines,” the willingness to deprescribe among patients with polypharmacy increased almost fourfold (odds ratio,3.80[1.29-16.21]).
CONCLUSIONS: Community-dwelling older adults frequently live with multiple chronic conditions, resulting in a high prevalence of polypharmacy; deprescribing initiatives are therefore essential. Most older adults are willing to reduce their medications if their physician endorses the change, and those with polypharmacy demonstrate even greater readiness to deprescribe than their counterparts without polypharmacy.
METHODS: We randomly enrolled community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 60 years from three cities in Guizhou Province between August and October 2025. Polypharmacy was defined as the concurrent use of ≥ five prescription medications. Patient-level variables included age, sex, educational attainment, economic status, medication satisfaction, and self-perceived medication burden. The primary outcome—attitude toward deprescribing—was assessed with the single validated item: “If your doctor said it was possible, would you be willing to stop one or more of your regular medicines?”
RESULTS: We included 542 participants, with mean age of 79.2 years (95% CI: 70.3-88.1) and 46.7% female. 57.0% perceived themselves as “taking too many medicines,” and 92.4% were willing to discontinue at least one regular medication. Older adults with polypharmacy were almost three times as likely to believe they were taking one or more unnecessary drugs (odds ratio,2.87[1.83-4.49]). When physicians explicitly stated that “it is possible to reduce one or more medicines,” the willingness to deprescribe among patients with polypharmacy increased almost fourfold (odds ratio,3.80[1.29-16.21]).
CONCLUSIONS: Community-dwelling older adults frequently live with multiple chronic conditions, resulting in a high prevalence of polypharmacy; deprescribing initiatives are therefore essential. Most older adults are willing to reduce their medications if their physician endorses the change, and those with polypharmacy demonstrate even greater readiness to deprescribe than their counterparts without polypharmacy.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
EPH136
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health
Topic Subcategory
Public Health, Safety & Pharmacoepidemiology
Disease
SDC: Geriatrics