Using Community Engagement to Initiate Conversations About Medication Management and Deprescribing in Primary Care

Polypharmacy, or the simultaneous use of multiple medications, represents a significant public health challenge—particularly among older adults, who are more likely to experience negative clinical outcomes attributable to adverse reactions to or interactions between their medications (Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2013). Improved medication management on the part of both patients and health care providers (HCPs) is needed to address the issues and consequences associated with polypharmacy, but conversations between patients and their HCPs about options for medication changes remain the exception. In a rural community near Ottawa, Ontario, a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach aimed to support improved public awareness of and participation in medication management and deprescribing through educational events aimed at older adults. This paper describes the processes researchers used in collaboration with community members to discuss and address medication management in a locally relevant manner, details the results of these processes, and suggests how similar approaches may be employed to empower patients and communities to address issues of personal health care.