Researchers at McGill University have created a new digital tool that could help older adults safely reduce their use of medications that may no longer be necessary — and in some cases, might even be harmful.
The tool, called MedSafer, is designed to assist healthcare providers in identifying and stopping potentially inappropriate medications.
In a recent clinical trial, MedSafer helped doctors deprescribe unnecessary medications for 36% of residents in long-term care facilities — nearly three times more than when clinicians performed reviews without the software.
“Sometimes we assume that memory problems or mobility issues are just part of aging, when in reality, the cause might be certain medications,” said Dr. Emily McDonald, the study’s lead author and an Associate Professor at McGill’s Department of Medicine.
“I’ve seen patients who were barely responsive suddenly become alert and talkative again after we stopped a sedating drug.”
Polypharmacy — the use of multiple medications — is common among seniors. Nearly two-thirds of Canadian seniors take five or more medications each day, and the number is often even higher for those in long-term care. Medications are reviewed every three months in these settings, but there is no consistent system for deciding which drugs to stop.
That’s where MedSafer comes in. The tool works like a digital checklist. It scans a resident’s list of medications and health conditions, flags any drugs that may be inappropriate, and offers step-by-step guidance on how to safely stop them or suggest better alternatives.
The tool was developed by Dr. McDonald and Dr. Todd Lee, both scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.
In the trial, MedSafer was tested on 725 residents in five long-term care homes in New Brunswick. On average, each resident was taking 10 different medications.
One of the challenges the software helps address is known as a “prescribing cascade.” This occurs when a new medication is prescribed to treat the side effects of another drug, leading to more medications and more potential problems.
“The more medications you take, the higher the risk of side effects, drug interactions, falls, confusion, and hospital visits,” explained Dr. Lee.
The researchers hope MedSafer will eventually be used not just in long-term care homes, but also in regular clinics and family practices. This could help prevent overmedication before it becomes a serious problem.
“This tool should become the new standard of care for older adults,” said Dr. McDonald. “No one should be taking a medication that’s doing more harm than good.”
The research was supported by the Healthy Seniors Pilot Project, a collaboration between the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Government of New Brunswick. Dr. McDonald and Dr. Lee are also co-founders of MedSafer Corp., the company that licenses the software used in the study.
The study is published in JAMA Network Open.
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