Teaching Deprescribing and Combating Polypharmacy in the Pharmacy Curriculum: Educational Recommendations from Thematic Analysis of Focus Groups

Author:

Scott Devin1,Cernasev Alina2,Barenie Rachel E.3,Springer Sydney P.4,Axon David R.5ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Teaching and Learning Center, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 920 Madison, Suite 424, Memphis, TN 38163, USA

2. Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy, 301 S. Perimeter Park Dr., Suite 220, Nashville, TN 37211, USA

3. College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA

4. Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of New England School of Pharmacy, Westbrook College of Health Professions, 716 Stevens Ave, Portland, ME 04013, USA

5. Department of Pharmacy Practice & Science, University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, 1295 N Martin Ave, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA

Abstract

In the last two decades in the United States (US), the previous research has focused on medication optimization, including polypharmacy. Polypharmacy is associated with several negative outcomes, which may be resolved by deprescribing medications that are no longer necessary. Although deprescribing is a critical aspect of a pharmacist’s role, some studies have demonstrated that student pharmacists are less familiar with their future role in deprescribing. Thus, this study aimed to explore student pharmacists’ perceptions of deprescribing in the pharmacy curriculum. This qualitative study was conducted with student pharmacists enrolled in three Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) programs in the US. The participants, all student pharmacists at the time of the study, were identified via an email requesting their voluntary participation in a focus group study. The focus groups were conducted via an online platform over three months in 2022, and recruitment continued until thematic saturation was obtained. Using thematic analysis, the corpus of the transcribed data was imported into Dedoose®, a qualitative software that facilitated the analysis. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) the importance of deprescribing; (2) barriers to deprescribing; (3) education recommendations. The data highlight that the student pharmacists believe integrating deprescribing content into the clinical, didactic, and simulation education would help them overcome the identified obstacles. Colleges of pharmacy should consider emphasizing the importance of deprescribing in their curriculum, creating programs to assist future pharmacists in addressing the barriers to deprescribing, and adopting the suggested educational strategies to improve the deprescribing education that is offered.

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

General Computer Science

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