Prescription and Deprescription of Medication During the Last 48 Hours of Life: Multicenter Study in 23 Acute Geriatric Wards in Flanders, Belgium

Abstract Context Palliative care for the older person is often limited, resulting in poor quality of dying. Pharmacological management can be one of the components to achieve better symptom control. Objectives To describe the anticipatory prescription of medication for symptomatic treatment and the deprescription of potentially inappropriate medication during the last days of life. Methods This was a cross-sectional descriptive study between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2013 in 23 acute geriatric wards in Flanders, Belgium. Structured after-death questionnaires were filled out by the treating geriatrician for patients hospitalized for more than 48 hours before dying. Results Anticipatory prescription of medication was present in 65.4% of cases, 45.5% of the cases was prescribed morphine, 15.5% benzodiazepines, and 13.8% scopolamine hydrobromide. A deprescription of potentially inappropriate medication was noted in 67.9% of cases. The likelihood of anticipatory prescription was significantly higher in cases where death was expected (odds ratio [OR] 19; 95% CI 9–40; P