Managing Polypharmacy: Deprescribing Strategies for Caregivers (2026)
Hook: Polypharmacy increases falls, confusion, and hospital visits. Deprescribing is a clinical process — caregivers play a critical role in documenting effects and enabling safer regimens.
Steps for caregivers
- Compile a complete medication list including OTCs and supplements.
- Ask for a structured deprescribing plan from the clinician with expected timelines, monitoring metrics, and rescue plans.
- Log effects daily for the first weeks after changes to capture withdrawal or improvement signs.
Coordination tips
Work with pharmacists for interaction checks and use telehealth for frequent short follow-ups to adjust plans quickly (telehealth follow-up workflows).
"Deprescribing is iterative and measurable — caregivers are the data collectors who make it safe."
Final checklist
- Document everything.
- Use short-interval follow-ups after each change.
- Prioritize function and cognition when making decisions.
