Elderly patients and deprescribing. October 16, 2018

The vast majority (92%) of older adults said they would be willing to stop taking at least one of their medications if their physician said this was possible, according to a survey of almost 2000 Medicare beneficiaries.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/903407#vp_1

       Does elderly patients out of mind? Not at all. Is this true that elderly patients are so nauve they trust in MD unconditionally?  Not at all. Regardless of age if patient has normal mental ability to decision making, they can  stop to take any medicine they do not need or do not see any benefits from it without MD approval. The same as everyone of us.
      The point is, de-prescribing, what is it? It is a new toy for MD. At first they Rx medicine, and then they de=Rx this medicine. It is all just  game, show case. One MD walk into weighting room where patients sit with laptop to show up. So, after that every one is free to go.If anyone will ask them: did you see a doctor? They will answer, Yes, we did. It is important. Md has no one idea what else he must do.  Some MD will record something on recorder without cassette. At least he spent time with patient in the same room. Other MD enter into room and then go out. After awhile they return, ask some routine ??? and then Rx medicine Big pharma reimburse them for. It does not matter if this medicine is good for patient or bad, money will flow as long as MD Rx this medicine.
     So, what really elderly patient will say? It is OK you take some medicine out of my box. (Anyway I do not need it.) I do know Metformin is bad for me. But all MD insist, I have to take it because of it is first line of treatment for diabetes type 2. I do have choice:

• take Rx, bring it in pharmasy, and then flash this medicine into toilet;
• refuse to take Rx and get into conflict with MD;
• take medicine which is harmful for me just because of I am disciplined person. I all time follow orders. 

I do not want to take Rx on Metformin. I do not want that this poison medicine pretend that it is good and diabetics type 2 take it, and have benefits from it. But with other medicine I do take Rx and bring it home. I even may have this medicine in my medical box. I just simple do not think I have to take it. What I never do is, I never take medicine which is harmful for me and I do know it.
     The publication is about elderly people. Many of them immigrants and cannot read. They simple do not know this medicine does not carry healing for them, but it destroy health and well being. Who suppose to protect these people from harm? From MD and Medical Complex? There are no protection for us.This is why elderly people will say: It is OK to take it off, to de-Rx this medicine, if MD think it is right.
      With medicine it is all the time the same. Rx is time-sensitive. It has refills, but not forever. MD must sent another Rx to the pharmacy. If MD think, patient no longer need this medicine why MD does not stop to Rx this medicine? Because of MD does not care. MD has payment for service. So, MD must sit with patient in the same room to show face that head work was done.
      Just take a look at this absurd. It is number of medication elderly people take or Rx-ed. There are no concern about medical condition elderly person is. There are no medicine for our medical condition. Just numbers in medical list. They can be easily replaced with any other medicine, or by green tea. Really, why not? If first line treatment for Diabetes 2 is diet then green tea is best shot. Just eat right, and no diabetes or heart attacks, no strokes or COPD, Just life without Death.
      Let Medical Complex play its games without us.

via Ravenvoron