Insights Into Pharmacist-Led Deprescribing of Benzodiazepines and Related Drugs: A Qualitative Study With Physicians and Pharmacists

Abstract

While deprescribing benzodiazepines and related drugs (BZRDs) is crucial for preventing prolonged use and their associated adverse effects, it presents challenges from a healthcare perspective, because of limited resources and time. Recently, a pharmacist-led deprescribing of BZRDs in the treatment of insomnia was introduced in Helsinki's primary care health centres. To explore pharmacists' and physicians' insights, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted via Microsoft Teams with physicians and pharmacists involved in a pharmacist-led deprescribing. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed abductively. A total of four pharmacists and four physicians from four health centres participated in this study. Pharmacist-led deprescribing was perceived as having positive outcomes and as being efficient, particularly in saving physicians' time and resources. Various patient-related facilitators and barriers were identified, with patient motivation and willingness being the most cited. Suggestions for improvement included establishing clear criteria for deprescribing, clarifying the roles in the process flow, providing enhanced deprescribing guidance and educational materials and enhancing the patient-centred approach by actively involving patients in the decision-making process and considering the patient's overall situation. Overall, the pharmacist-led model was seen as a promising and resource-efficient approach to deprescribing BZRDs in primary care health centres.