An interventional study of Deprescribing Tool in Elderly, sponsored by Indian Council of Medical Research. Recruiting at 2 sites in India. Open to participants aged 60 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-08-14.
Sponsored by Indian Council of Medical Research · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a deprescribing tool can help in reducing prescriptions with potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), in the Indian elderly population. The main question it aims to answer is- Can inappropriate polypharmacy in elderly patients be reduced through development and implementation of a deprescribing tool relevant to the Indian context? Researchers will compare control arm outcome parameters to see if there is a reduction in Proportion of prescriptions with at least one PIM ( Primary outcome parameter).
Participating Prescribers ( Physicians) will be randomized to Control or Intervention arms. Particpating patients will not be randomized, and will receive routine consultation with a Physician who does not use the Deprescribing Tool (Control arm) or a prescriber who uses the Deprescribing tool ( Intervention Arm)
Rationale: Polypharmacy is common in the elderly and is associated with increased risk of serious adverse events, including falls, cognitive impairment, functional decline, hospitalization, and death. In addition, some of the prescribed drugs may be potentially inappropriate medications (PIM), whose risks outweigh their benefits. It is therefore necessary to review medication intake of the elderly and discontinue or reduce the dose of the ones that are no longer required. This process, termed deprescribing, can reduce prescription of PIMs, improving prescription quality and minimize risks due to potential adverse effects and drug-disease or drug-drug interactions, as well as cost of therapy. Novelty: Although there are many tools for deprescribing, none of these tools has been developed for the Indian context, where there is widespread use of fixed dose combinations (FDCs), use of medicines from different systems of medicines, and high out of pocket expenditure on medicines. Also, some of the medications listed in existing tools are not marketed in India, while some which are commonly prescribed in the country are not listed in the tools. We therefore propose to develop and validate a deprescribing tool for the Indian elderly population, evaluate its impact on prescription quality and risk minimization, as well as explore the facilitators and barriers in the implementation of the tool. Study Design: Multicenter multi-method study. Deprescribing tool will be developed through a modified Delphi method. Prescribers will then be enrolled and randomised to either the control or intervention arm. Prescribers in control arm will prescribe as routine practice, without the aid of the tool. Prescribers in the intervention arm will use the deprescribing tool for medication review and deprescription, if indicated. Elderly patients (≥ 60 years old) of either sex, will be identified by research staff at the OPD registration counter, and approached to consent for the study. Prescriptions of consenting patients (≥ 60 years) will be photographed after consultation with prescriber in either arm. Prescriptions from both arms will be compared for assessment of outcome parameters. Sample size: 1650 (825 per study site) patients will be included evaluation of effectiveness of the tool. To evaluate barriers and facilitators to implementation, in depth interviews will be held with all 30 prescribers (15 at each site). Follow-up: Patients will be followed up at one month telephonically (or in person in case of a routine follow up visit at one month) to inquire about any adverse events, including hospitalization due to any cause. Patients will also be provided with the contact number of a study staff to be contacted in case of any problem within or after the one month follow up period. Expected Outcome: Improved quality of prescribing in the elderly, with reduction in proportion of prescriptions with PIMs, reduction in average number of PIMs prescribed per prescription and reduction of ADRs, drug-disease and drug-drug interactions.
Indian Council of Medical Research is the lead sponsor of 12 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Prescribers in this arm will not use the Deprescribing Tool, and will prescribe as per routine practice.
Prescribers in this arm will be trained in the use of the Deprescribing Tool and provided the Tool for medication review during patient consultation. The prescriber will be encouraged to refer to the tool for medication review of elderly patients aged ≥ 60 years and take deprescribing decision if indicated.
Other: Deprescribing Tool
Deprescribing Tool will be used for medication review during patient consultation. The prescriber will be encouraged to refer to the tool for medication review of elderly patients aged ≥ 60 years and take deprescribing decision if indicated. Deprescribing may take place in any of the following ways- 1. Immediate discontinuation of a drug, e.g., a duplicate drug 2. Initiation of gradual tapering of a drug e.g., an anxiolytic, which is no longer indicated 3. Reduction in dose of a drug, e.g., lower dose of an NSAID for relief of symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis Only 1-3 medicines will be deprescribed at a time. Medicines with overlapping indications will not be deprescribed at the same time so it is clear which medicine is responsible if withdrawal effects occur.
Change in Proportion of prescriptions with at least one PIM
Proportion of prescriptions with at least one PIM in the control arm minus proportion of prescriptions with at least one PIM in the intervention arm. Proportion= Number of prescriptions with at least one PIM ÷Total number of prescriptions included in the respective arm (intervention/control)
Time frame: From enrollment to end of consultation at 30 minutes to 1 hour
Change in Average number of PIMs per prescription
Average number of PIMs in control arm minus Average number of PIMs in intervention arm Average = Number of PIMs ÷ Total number of prescriptions included in the respective arm (intervention/control)
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of consultation at 30 minutes to 1 hour
Change in Proportion of prescriptions in which at least one PIM was deprescribed
Proportion of prescriptions in which at least one PIM was deprescribed in the intervention arm minus Proportion of prescriptions in which at least one PIM was deprescribed in the control arm Proportion=Number of prescriptions in which at least one PIM was deprescribed ÷Total number of prescriptions included in the respective arm (intervention/control)
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of consultation at 30 minutes to 1 hour
Change in Average number of Potential ADRs, Drug- Drug Interactions and Drug- Disease Interactions
Average number of Potential ADRs, Drug- Drug Interactions and Drug- Disease Interactions in the control arm minus Average number of Potential ADRs, Drug- Drug Interactions and Drug- Disease Interactions in the intervention arm Average: Number of Potential ADRs, Drug- Drug Interactions and Drug- Disease Interactions ÷ Total number of patients in the respective arm (intervention/control)
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of consultation at 30 minutes to 1 hour
Change in Average number of Adverse Events at one month
Average number of Adverse Events in the control arm minus Average number of Adverse Events in the intervention arm Average: Number of Adverse Events÷ Total number of patients in the respective arm (intervention/control)
Time frame: 1 month
Plan to share: No
Started May 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Feb 2026, 9 months after the start.
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Indian Council of Medical Research