Perspectives on Deprescribing Medications Among Patients Receiving Hemodialysis: A Qualitative Study

Patients on hemodialysis (HD) take on average 12 (+5) medications daily,1 with over 90% prescribed at least one potentially inappropriate medication (PIM).1 Polypharmacy, commonly defined as the use of five or more medications per day and inappropriate choices and doses of medications,2 can lead to adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions, non-adherence, cognitive impairment, and falls.2 Deprescribing, the process of safely reducing or discontinuing inappropriate medications, aims to reduce the use of PIMs and improve patient outcomes.