Medication discontinuation

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 that may be motivated by a number of reasons:

• Reducing polypharmacy
• Reducing health expenditure
• Improving quality of life by ceasing medications with potential adverse effects or where the indication for a medical treatment may have changed
• Reflect changes in evidence that support a treatment
• Reflecting changes in treatment goals, such as a move to end-of-life care.

Unlike the prescribing of medications, appropriate discontinuation has not attracted nearly as much attention or interest.