The 'new' term 'deprescribing' was discussed in a recent editorial by Alldred,[1] where the difficulty in searching for research regarding cessation of medications due to the lack of a standardized term for it was highlighted. While deprescribing has been defined as medication cessation, the term is broader than simply cessation and encompasses the process of trial medication withdrawal. Deprescribing may include gaining a complete medication history, identifying medications for withdrawal, medication tapering and monitoring following cessation.'2'31 We agree with Alldred and previous authors11'41 that use of the term deprescribing in future studies should be advocated to distinguish it from alternative terms 'cessation', 'withdrawal' and 'discontinuation', which are nonspecific and do not capture the process involved.
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