Health Report - Separate stories podcast Medication detectives: deprescribing for better health
Feb 27, 2026
A deep dive into stopping unnecessary medicines and the idea of polypharmacy. Discussion of harms from multiple drugs, interactions and how ageing changes drug effects. A look at medication-related hospital admissions and barriers to reviewing meds. A real case about reducing opioids to lower fall risk and improve safety.
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Deprescribing Is Often Neglected In Modern Care
- Deprescribing is an underused part of care where clinicians stop unnecessary meds rather than adding more.
- Norman Swan recalls old practice of stopping all meds on admission then rebuilding treatment while monitored in hospital.
Polypharmacy Can Be Appropriate Or Harmful
- Polypharmacy usually means five or more medicines and can be appropriate or inappropriate.
- Deborah Hawthorne notes about 2 million Australians experience polypharmacy, but harm comes from inappropriate combinations or unnecessary drugs.
Aging Changes Drug Risks And Interactions
- Risks include side effects, drug interactions and altered drug handling as people age.
- Hawthorne highlights chronic kidney disease and multiple meds raising fall risk and other harms.