Most patients who are educated about potential drug harms and medication self-advocacy skills report a high level of confidence in discussing concerns with their doctors and deprescribing, a study has found.
Participants were recruited from two primary care clinics to watch an online informational video on how to recognize medication-related side effects. All were aged 65 years and older and about 40% took three to five medications.
After viewing the video, participants answered survey questions about their understanding of potential medications issues and attitudes toward deprescribing, among other questions. One month later, they were sent a followup survey asking about their experiences with self-advocacy regarding medication-related harms.
The majority (97%) of respondents agreed that the video helped them understand how to be alert for adverse reactions caused by medications, reported lead author Robert G. Wahler, PharmD, of the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
In addition, most respondents (89%) taking medications responded that they were willing to deprescribe medications if their doctor said it was possible. What’s more, 92% of video viewers agreed that they felt confident about talking to their doctor about medication-related concerns.
The results were presented at the 2022 ACCP Global Conference on Clinical Pharmacy.
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