The goal of this feasibility study is to evaluate the feasibility of an intervention, led by the pharmacist, aiming at benzodiazepines and z-drugs deprescribing in older adults living in the Belgian community setting. The main questions it aims to answer are: * To what extent will Belgian community pharmacists adhere to the intervention? * To what extent will patients and general practitioners take up the intervention to deprescribe benzodiazepines and z-drugs? * To what extent is the design of the recruitment and data collection process feasible and acceptable for all participants? Participants will receive an educational brochure from their pharmacist. Their pharmacist will also propose to send a new standardized form to their general practitioner to enhance collaboration about a potential benzodiazepine deprescribing. Researchers will compare this intervention to usual care to see if the intervention is feasible and to gather first data on intervention effectiveness in benzodiazepine deprescribing.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
80
The intervention was described in the arm/group descriptions.
UCLouvain
Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium
RECRUITINGPharmacists' adherence to the intervention
Has the intervention been implemented as intended? (e.g: global number of implemented intervention components)
Time frame: At 3 months
Pharmacists' adherence to the intervention
Has the intervention been implemented as intended? (e.g: global number of implemented intervention components)
Time frame: At 6 months
Participants' responsiveness
How far participants (pharmacists, patients, and general practitioners) have responded to the intervention and have been engaged by the intervention: e.g. number of altered prescriptions).
Time frame: At 3 months
Participants' responsiveness
How far participants (pharmacists, patients, and general practitioners) have responded to the intervention and have been engaged by the intervention: e.g. number of altered prescriptions).
Time frame: At 6 months
Feasibility of the recruitment process
The feasibility of the recruitment will be assessed (e.g. the ratio between the number of included patients and patients contacted for participation).
Time frame: At 6 months
Feasibility of the data collection process
The feasibility of the data collection process will be assessed through the quality of the collected data (rate of missing data).
Time frame: At 6 months
Contextual factors potentially influencing the intervention effects at the patient-level.
Use of a questionnaire to assess factors that could explain potential differences in intervention implementation between patients.
Time frame: At baseline
Contextual factors potentially influencing the intervention effects at the pharmacist-level.
Use of a questionnaire to assess factors that could explain potential differences in intervention implementation between pharmacies.
Time frame: At baseline
Mechanisms of impact potentially influencing the intervention
Use a questionnaire to assess mechanisms of impact in relation with how the intervention is supposed to have its effects.
Time frame: At baseline
Mechanisms of impact potentially influencing the intervention
Use of a questionnaire to assess mechanisms of impact in relation with how the intervention is supposed to have its effects.
Time frame: At 3 months
Mechanisms of impact potentially influencing the intervention
Use of a questionnaire to assess mechanisms of impact in relation with how the intervention is supposed to have its effects.
Time frame: At 6 months
Exploratory benzodiazepine deprescribing rate analysis
Defined as benzodiazepine reduction or cessation at 6 months
Time frame: At 3 months
Exploratory benzodiazepine deprescribing rate analysis
Defined as benzodiazepine reduction or cessation at 6 months
Time frame: At 6 months
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