RESOURCES

Communications Toolkit – Evidence-Based Statin Deprescribing Guideline

deprescribing.org has just released the newest addition to its suite of evidence-based deprescribing guidelines. Our newest guideline focuses on statins. While statins are often beneficial and well-tolerated, their risk to benefit profile changes as people age and their health status changes. Our overarching goal is to continue to support rational prescribing across the globe. We are looking to promote widespread adoption by all clinicians and provide free access to a variety of tools and resources as part of the statin deprescribing guideline work.

Who is deprescribing.org?

Since 2013, our team has developed and applied rigorous methods for producing evidence-based deprescribing guidelines and have created related tools that are used worldwide. We value our relationships with key partners and appreciate your help in mobilizing this knowledge into practice.

Key Highlights of the Statin Deprescribing Guideline

· The guideline was developed in response to clinicians identifying a need for evidence-based guidance and resources to support decision-making around continuing, stopping, or reducing statins.

· A panel of interdisciplinary clinician experts, researchers, and patient representatives participated in a systematic review and developed recommendations using the GRADE framework to create the content of the guideline.

· Supporting tools and resources have been created, including a 2-page algorithm, 3 short whiteboard videos, a patient education pamphlet, and a plain language summary. All of these can be accessed here.

· Shared decision-making conversations are a key component of statin deprescribing decision-making. The patient/person perspective matters. Fostering these discussions can be supported though other tools we have created for those living in the community and in long-term care.

· Before publication, extensive external reviews were conducted on all aspects of this work by leading experts and Canadian academic detailing organizations. We also tested our tools by piloting them with Ontario long-term care clinicians who used them to assess more than 100 residents.

· Thus far, the guideline has been endorsed by the Canadian Society of Long-Term Care Medicine and the Canadian Geriatrics Society.

We Need Your Help

We are inviting individuals and organizations to help spread the word that the statin deprescribing.org tools and resources are now freely available at www.deprescribing.org.