📢 The International Conference on Deprescribing (ICOD) 2026 in Montréal Canada is now welcoming abstracts submissions until October 15, 2025 (11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time)! Access the abstract submission platform here: events.decorporate.ca/ICOD2026/abs... We hope to see you there!

September 25 is World Pharmacists Day! Every day, #pharmacists across the globe help to ensure the appropriate use of medications and improve health outcomes. 🌎 Happy Pharmacists Day - from our deprescribing.org pharmacists, to our pharmacist colleagues worldwide! #ThinkHealth #ThinkPharmacist

Looking for a new podcast for your commute? 🎧 Check out the latest @prescqipp.info info #TalkingMeds podcast where our @deprescribing.bsky.social Co-Director @lisamccarthy.bsky.social and host @jonathanunderhill.pharmsky.app discuss person-centered deprescribing, ICOD 2026, and more!

September 17 is World Patient Safety Day! Organized by the World Health Organization, this year's theme is, "Safe care for every newborn and every child", with the slogan, "Patient safety from the start!" 🧸 Read more about this year's campaign here: buff.ly/RjHaMcL

So happy to have contributed to ISMP Canada and Canada's Drug Agency's new "5 Questions to Ask About my Multiple Medications" resource for patients and caregivers! Find the helpful handout and toolkit here: www.cda-amc.ca/appropriate-... Please spread the word!! 🎉

Scoping review maps out the most commonly used tools for identifying PIMs, including which tools are most suitable for research using registry data: buff.ly/hbCcC63 Highlighted tools useful for register-based research include: ➡️ The EU(7)PIM List ➡️ PRICUS List ➡️ Zhan Criteria ➡️ NORGEP

People with Dementia (PWD) are frequently exposed to #polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication use. Check out this useful article from Dr. Ariel Green's team at John Hopkins University providing a structured roadmap on #Deprescribing for People with Dementia! buff.ly/Nlo5vZI

Great read from the Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice highlighting the growing global concern of irrational medicine use, and how the World Health Organization's Prescribing Indicators can be used as tools to help combat this: buff.ly/YiB3om5

Many LTC homes in 🇨🇦 have rates of potentially inappropriate antipsychotic use well above the new 15% national target. Join the Appropriate Use Coalition on September 18 from 12-1 p.m. ET for a deep dive into your questions about inappropriate antipsychotic use!

📢 Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis finds older adults treated with a Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) have a 41% increased risk of fractures as compared with non-PPI users: buff.ly/ZWGtes4 Given fractures are a major cause of morbidity & mortality, PPIs should be used cautiously in older adults.

Ever wonder what percentage of hospital admissions are caused by medications? 💊 A systematic review published in the Age and Ageing Journal finds adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and adverse drug events (ADEs) are significant causes of hospitalization in older adults. buff.ly/4Vuv4T2

🗓️ Don't miss out on this International #Deprescribing Journal Club on September 25, 2025 at 11:00 ET! 💭 How can Research on Optimising Medication for Vulnerable Populations be Translated into Practice? 🔗 Register at: lnkd.in/e4JPjeKf

A large cohort study using health administrative data from nearly 3 million older adults in Ontario 🇨🇦 finds widespread potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) based on STOPP-START and Beers Criteria. 📖 Read the full study from @jclinepi.bsky.social here: buff.ly/xQzWIkA

An older adult comes to you on an AGS Beers Criteria medication - or you are thinking of starting one. What can you do instead? New evidence-based, consensus clinical recommendations from @amergeriatrics.bsky.social. Check it out! agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....

Population-based study finds a decrease in potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) claim costs among older adults in Quebec 🇨🇦 from $206 million in 2012 to $186 million in 2021: buff.ly/qYQnhjQ Appropriate prescribing and #Deprescribing are crucial to ensure these cost declines are sustained!

📚 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝! 📚 A list of 65 Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing Cascades (PIPCs) was created using a Rigorous Delphi Consensus process conducted by international experts on pharmacotherapy for older adults. Find the PIPC list and the full article here! buff.ly/OlveGWx

As we age, changes in our bodies can affect drug exposure, leading to potentially increased risks of both medication toxicity and treatment failure. 💊 Great review article highlights major age-related physiological changes that can impact drug use: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

📢 Are you a Canadian Medical or Pharmacy student interested in raising awareness of the risks of #polypharmacy and promoting #deprescribing? Check out this awesome funding opportunity from @caden-recad.bsky.social ky.social‬ (up to $500 CAD)! Apply by Sept 30th, 2025!

It turns out the definition of a Prescribing Cascade may differ from one research article to the next. 🚨 Scoping review finds there is substantial heterogeneity in the definition of a prescribing cascade: buff.ly/98qMKHu @frankmoriarty.bsky.social @lisamccarthy.bsky.social

Ever wonder if underrepresented populations exist in the deprescribing literature ❓ After all, the results of deprescribing studies are only as generalizable as the populations of older adults that they include! Check out a great read from @katharinajungo.bsky.social 's team: buff.ly/pTckWmT

Want to learn more about #Deprescribing Networks❓ Great article from @mikesteinman.bsky.social's team detailing the role, rationale, impact, and future directions of the US Deprescribing Research Network: buff.ly/avt0t9H

An umbrella review of 11 meta-analyses finds a significant association between PPI use and increased CDI risk. The highest risk was observed in the ICU setting, and in patients with recurrent CDI. Read more: buff.ly/Ksuq7LJ Let's prevent mortality from C.Diff and reassess our PPIs.

📢 July 11th is World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day! Thanks @diamond-derx.bsky.social for raising awareness and sharing our resources! Learn more about #WorldBenzoDay and the DIAMOND research programme below!

July 8 is International Rational Use of Medicines Day! 🥳 🎉 Learn about how we can all play a part in preventing medication-related harm. Find helpful posters, resources, and videos here: isium.org/events/irum-... Great initiative from the International Society to Improve the Use of Medicines!

Study from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy finds a pharmacist educational intervention involving educational materials (videos and website resources) coupled with detailed deprescribing recommendations was shown to be effective in improving PCP's confidence in deprescribing: buff.ly/iVWwLOy

Great analysis article from Caroline McCarthy describing systemic factors that can lead to overprescribing. As the article mentions, societal narratives around medications need to change in order to enhance the overall quality of care. Read more here: buff.ly/mOm90ED

Meta-Analysis of RCTs studying Interventions to #deprescribe Benzos & other Sedative Hypnotics in ‪@bmj.com‬ finds: ➡️ Patient education, med reviews, & pharmacist-led educational interventions may increase discontinuation rates ➡️ Multicomponent interventions may be more effective buff.ly/m3sNb0R

Thank you J T H Nielen's team for highlighting several real-world examples of Prescribing Cascades here: buff.ly/U6qBO9V Prescribing Cascades are not always linear + obvious! Misinterpreted symptoms and consecutive prescribing cascades can easily lead to significant negative consequences.

June 13 is #NationalLTCDay! Let's celebrate the vital role of Long-Term Care Homes and the dedicated staff, families, and volunteers who support LTC residents across 🇨🇦. Older adults living in LTC homes are especially vulnerable to the harms of potentially inappropriate medications.

QI study in LTC Homes found the provision of "Prescribing Portraits" (personalized reports displaying prescribing patterns compared w/ peers & recommendations) to prescribers helped encourage safer prescribing practices & improved medication safety: Read the full article here: buff.ly/waseDNK

Thank you CSHP for having ‪@deprescribing.bsky.social‬ start off PPC 2025 at @uottawa.ca with a terrific @deprescribing workshop! We were thrilled to have such an engaging & thoughtful audience! 😊 Shoutout to Pam Howell & @rxvince.bsky.social‬ for facilitating! #CSHP_PPC #PPC2025 ‬

💡 Impactful Trial from @dremilymcd.bsky.social‬'s team! The randomized trial found combining electronic deprescribing reports with regular medication reviews in long-term care homes led to a 23.7% increase in #deprescribing! 📊 Read the full article here: buff.ly/5s5D5id

NOW AVAILABLE: A FREE, evidence-informed, interactive online course on #deprescribing developed by @dalhealth.bsky.social & launched with @caden-recad.bsky.social to increase primary care clinicians’ awareness, knowledge and skills in deRx. Start the course today! buff.ly/EK7b6F1

It's not too late to join the "Sparking Change in the Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics (AUA)" program offered by Healthcare Excellence Canada! 📢 Register by June 27, 2025 to be entered into a kickstarter award draw for the chance to win $2,000 per site! Learn more:

How should we teach deprescribing competencies? Attend our 3:50PM workshop to learn how a CADeN framework can be applied to teach and assess #deprescribing in undergraduate medicine, pharmacy and nursing programs! #ChoosingWisely2025

In Canada, 1 in 4 LTC residents are prescribed #antipsychotics potentially inappropriately. Join a launch webinar on June 18 at 12 p.m. ET to hear from experts about a new target to guide appropriate use, key findings, and steps toward safer prescribing. 🔗 Register now: buff.ly/xOeh0KK

Join us at CSHP PPC in Ottawa, ON on Friday June 6 at our pre-conference workshop on #Deprescribing! We'll be providing practical tips & resources via case-based scenarios in hospital, ambulatory care, and LTC settings. Register for the conference here! buff.ly/FyXGIb0 #CSHP_PPC

Searching for evidence-based literature on the safe and quality use of medications in older adults? 📖 Don't miss the new #Polypharmacy and #Geriatrics book from Nagham Ailabouni, including must-read chapters from global #deprescribing leaders! 🌎 buff.ly/6NXSdxb

Happy to share ISMP Canada's newly released "Appropriate Use of Antipsychotic Medications in Long-Term Care Handbook"! buff.ly/dLr3QiA Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care, the handbook offers a comprehensive approach to help reduce the risk of adverse drug events from #antipsychotics.

Great infographic from @caden-recad.bsky.social & Canada's Drug Agency, helping to raise awareness of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use in 🇨🇦! 👏 Link to the resource: www.cda-amc.ca/sites/defaul...

Missed Healthcare Excellence Canada's "Safe #Deprescribing of Antipsychotics in Long-Term Care" webinar last week? Don't worry, you can watch the FULL recording here: buff.ly/HGlLyy0 Thank you for sharing your valuable insights Pam Howell & Julie Weir! 😊

Proud of our deprescribing.org pharmacist team member Pam Howell in her presentation on "Safe Deprescribing of Antipsychotics in Long-Term Care" to over 175 attendees, as part of Healthcare Excellence Canada's Sparking Change in the Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics Webinar Series! 😊

Great study showcasing a rigorously developed multidisciplinary #deprescribing intervention for frail older adults. So excited to see continued standardization & adoption of evidence-based, patient-informed deprescribing models! 🥳 buff.ly/ydPQarz

Are there differences in the usage of Potentially Inappropriate Medications (PIMs) between people of different ethnic and racial backgrounds? 🤔 The findings of this JAMA Network Open cross-sectional study of over 21 million older adults in the United States may surprise you! buff.ly/5kzH3lm

Insightful editorial in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) @agsjournal.bsky.social from @drklam.bsky.social and his team, highlighting the following key points (see Thread): buff.ly/Wo1lnxD @amergeriatrics.bsky.social

Great article detailing the life-cycle of medications and all the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are produced along the way: www.cfp.ca/content/71/4... #Deprescribing is one of the easiest and most cost-effective strategies to reduce healthcare emissions! @peachhealthon.bsky.social

Canada continues to experience an opioid toxicity crisis. Insightful report from Canada's Drug Agency highlights a welcome DECLINE in prescription opioid use for pain from January 2018 to December 2022: www.cda-amc.ca/trends-opioi... Let's keep the momentum going. 🥳

Prescribing Cascades occur when a new drug is prescribed to treat the adverse effect of an existing drug. They can often lead to #polypharmacy & med-related harm. Observational study finds potential prescribing cascades were highly prevalent in older hospitalized adults: buff.ly/wUZsJ4g

Welcome @diamond-derx.bsky.social!! We are excited to see your work unfold. #deprescribing #bigdata

Check out the Public Health Agency of Canada's NEW Infographic on the concerning uptick in Benzodiazepine-related drug toxicity deaths in Canada 🇨🇦: buff.ly/wQi9xHd Benzodiazepine use can lead to substance use disorder, overdose, and even death, especially when used with alcohol or other drugs. 💊