The nature of the problem
A culture of prescribing to treat long-term conditions, coupled with age-associated changes in the processes of metabolising medicine, have led to an ‘overprescribing epidemic’ amongst older adults (1). The World Health Organization recognises overprescribing as a serious problem yet deprescribing of medicines with more risks than benefits is not routine practice. Approximately half of older adults admitted to hospital are prescribed at least one medicine with more risks than benefits (2); however, only 1% have a medicine deprescribed during an admission (3).