Getting patients off meds is hard to do

Dr. Hickner’s editorial, “Let’s put a stop to the prescribing cascade” (J Fam Pract. 2012;61:645), reminded me of the clinicians at the Therapeutics Education Collaboration—a Canadian physician and pharmacist who produce podcasts on evidence-based medicine. Starting medications, they often say, is like the bliss of marriage; stopping them is like the agony of divorce, and is sometimes very hard to do.

Personally, I love stopping medications. I like to say I’m reducing patients’ medication burden.

Michael F. Mirochna, MD
Valparaiso, Ind
Editorial board, The Journal of Family Practice