De-prescribing: A new affordable model of care for the prescribing and administration of medications for vulnerable older people in aged care homes (RELEASE)

The RELEASE study will initiate a consultation process to explore the acceptability, feasibility and benefits of ‘de-prescribing’ – the careful reduction of prescription medications - in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF) in the Illawarra region of NSW.

This consultation will involve focus groups and interviews with stakeholders including residents in the RACF and their family members, GPs, registered nurses, aged care providers and pharmacists.

While the success of de-prescribing will depend on both medical and patient factors, few studies to-date have reported attitudes towards de-prescribing from the perspective of either patient or health professional.

RELEASE will elucidate imperative behavioural and normative beliefs, attitudes and environmental factors influencing the thoughts and practices of older people in residential aged care, their support networks and health providers regarding de-prescribing, and enable informed recommendations to be made on the opportunities for de-prescribing as a health care innovation within the sector.