Patient Education and Pharmacist Consultation Influence on Nonbenzodiazepine Sedative Medication Deprescribing Success for Older Adults

Use of nonbenzodiazepine sedative hypnotics or “Z-drugs”—including eszopiclone, zolpidem, or zaleplon—is discouraged for older adults; however, these medications commonly are prescribed to treat insomnia in this population. We evaluated the impact of direct-to-patient education, with or without a pharmacist consultation, on Z-drug discontinuation among Kaiser Permanente Northwest members age 64 years and older