Understanding potentially inappropriate medication: A focus group study with general practitioners.

Abstract

Polypharmacy and Potentially Inappropriate Medication (PIM) pose significant challenges for older adults, frequently leading to adverse health outcomes. While digital health tools offer promise solutions to improve medication management for this population, their integration into primary care settings remains slow. This study aims to explore the perspectives of Portuguese general practitioners (GPs) regarding polypharmacy, PIM, and the adoption of digital health-related tools for medication appropriateness in older adults. Five qualitative focus group sessions were conducted with 37 GPs working in Portuguese primary healthcare facilities of the north. The sessions were recorded, and a thematic analysis was performed. The following five themes emerged: factors associated with polypharmacy, challenges in deprescribing, problems related to PIM, strategies to handle polypharmacy, and barriers and facilitators adopting digital health-related tools for medication appropriateness. Eight barriers and nine facilitators were identified. This study underscores the complexity of medication management in older adults and highlights the potential of digital health tools to optimize medication use. Tailored interventions and collaborative efforts among all healthcare stakeholders are essential to enhance medication management and improve health outcomes in older adults.