Workshop to improve practitioner confidence in deprescribing

Victoria University of Wellington is holding a one-day workshop aimed at helping medical, nursing, and pharmacist practitioners navigate deprescribing practice.

Deprescribing is the process of critically reviewing the need for multiple medicines taken by an individual, particularly as they age.

Currently, practitioners who practice deprescribing report anxiety around not knowing if they are doing the right thing and concern that they might be causing more harm than good by stopping long-termmedicines.

Some also report concern that they may not have the best clinical knowledge to complete the task on their own.

The ‘Managing Medicines by Deprescribing’ workshop is designed to help practitioners learn more about the practice of deprescribing and build confidence in deciding when and how to reduce medications safely.

The workshop is facilitated by Betty Poot, a Nurse Practitioner and teacher in the University’s School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Practice, alongside Dr Denise Taylor and Dr Brendan Ng.

Ms Poot and Dr Taylor are currently undertaking research into factors that facilitate or hinder deprescribing in practice and say research and guidelines on the topic is a fast-developing clinical area.

Workshop attendees will practice deprescribing scenarios with multidisciplinary team members and share ideas and perspectives on how to choose which medicines to deprescribe and how.

A file of key resources and networks to support confidence and expertise in this area will be provided. Topics covered in the workshop include: barriers and facilitators to deprescribing, the process of deprescribing, developing a deprescribing plan, and gaining confidence and communication in deprescribing.

Attendees will also undertake case-based discussions to get a practical lens on the process.

This is the first time a workshop on this topic has run at Victoria University of Wellington. Places are limited.Managing Medicines by Deprescribing: tools and strategies to use in clinical practice Thursday 14 November 2019, 9.15am-4.15pm.

Fee: $75 excl. GST.

Coffee, tea,and lunch is provided.

Register online at victoria.ac.nz/courses/698-managing-medicines-by-deprescribing-tools-and-strategies-to-use-in-clinical-practice

Enquiries to Betty Poot betty.poot@vuw.ac.nz