Deprescribing Intervention for Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is recognized as a leading health problem globally. It is associated with multiple consequences such as cardiovascular diseases, infections, reduced cognitive function, and higher mortality rates. In Qatar, it is estimated that 13% of the population suffers from CKD. Management of CKD is associated with polypharmacy (the use of multiple medications), which burdens the patients and leads to adverse health and economic outcomes. As documented by previous studies, CKD setting is associated with a high medication burden, which leads to non-adherence, reduced quality of life, and other negative sequelae. These consequences can be minimized or averted by implementing a deprescribing program. Deprescribing is defined as the supervised process of intentionally stopping a medication, altering the dose or introducing a safer alternative to improve a person's clinical and quality of life outcomes. Previous deprescribing initiatives in inpatient and outpatient hospital settings were successfully implemented.

In general, there are limited deprescribing initiatives in CKD settings. There is a need to provide evidence of the impact of deprescribing programs on improving clinical and economic outcomes in this setting. In Qatar, there is no evidence of the effectiveness of implementing deprescribing programs in clinical settings. Therefore, we have built a team of researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders, and initiated a collaboration with deprescribing experts to fit into the Qatar healthcare system. This project aims to initiate a deprescribing multidisciplinary team and to evaluate the impact of providing such services on the clinical and economic outcomes among CKD patients in Qatar using a randomized controlled trial approach. The findings could have a potential positive impact on the professional practice and patient safety represented by health and economic outcomes.