Deprescribing and discontinuation with a prescriber

This page is reference information compiled from the cited sources. It is not medical advice. For any decision about health, diagnosis or care, consult a qualified professional.

What it is

Medication discontinuation is the ceasing of a medication treatment for a patient by either the clinician or the patient themself. When initiated by the clinician, it is known as deprescribing. Medication discontinuation is an important medical practice. It may be motivated by a number of reasons such as reducing polypharmacy and reducing health expenditure. Reasons also include improving quality of life by ceasing medications with potential adverse effects or where the indication for a medical treatment may have changed. Other reasons are to reflect changes in evidence that support a treatment and reflecting changes in treatment goals, such as a move to end-of-life care.

Key facts

Unlike the prescribing of medications, appropriate discontinuation has not attracted nearly as much attention or interest. Drug discontinuation may cause rebound effects and withdrawal syndromes. Drug discontinuation may be difficult to adjust to, owing to the long term use and the symbolism associated with ceasing medications, such as the decision to stop chemotherapy. General Practitioners who actively consider discontinuation are reluctant to do so, as they experience that the safest decision is to continue prescriptions. The clinical guidelines available to GPs do not encourage discontinuation of medication, and thus, they offer GPs a weak frame for discontinuation. For people with a life-shortening or terminal illness, such as a dementia, it is important to consider when to discontinue medications used to prevent future serious events.

When to seek professional help

One context is end-of-life care, where medications may be stopped as part of discussions about such care. Another context is for people with a life-shortening or terminal illness, such as dementia, where it is important to consider when to discontinue medications. The Medication Appropriateness Tool for Comorbid Health conditions during Dementia provides guidance for clinicians and consumers on how to manage medications. Furthermore, older adults should not stop any of their medications without talking to a healthcare professional. This is noted specifically in relation to anti-hypertensive drugs, where findings based on low quality evidence suggest it may be safe to stop them, but professional consultation is still indicated.

Source: Medication discontinuation (CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikipedia)), retrieved 2026-10-01.