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6 • RIVERROCK T • Thursday, February 26, 2026
How you stop a prescription medicine is as important as how you start

By John Whyte, MD, MPH social connection – as essential Deprescribing is not about
Every day, millions of Ameri- components of healing and preven- withholding care – it's about deliv-
cans take medications to manage tion. ering the right care, at the right
chronic conditions or prevent dis- Right now, lifestyle interven- time, for the right reasons. It's
ease. Prescription drugs are vital tions are too often an afterthought. about restoring balance – recogniz-
tools in modern medicine – but, in But no amount of medication can ing when a pill is helping, and
some circumstances, they can also fully counteract the health conse- when it's just adding to the burden.
lead to serious adverse drug inter- quences of poor diet, inactivity, or At its core, this is about respect:
actions, diminished quality of life, chronic stress. Rebuilding our na- for the science, for the art of medi-
and even life-threatening complica- tion's health means re-centering our cine, and most importantly, for the
tions. care around what actually restores lives of patients. If we're serious
This is a complex issue with health, not just what controls dis- about improving the health of our
high stakes for patients. Older ease. nation, then reassessing medica-
adults, in particular, are often pre- Good medicine means knowing tions – and refocusing on the foun-
scribed multiple drugs by different when to say, "Let's take another dations of real health and
doctors for different reasons. The look." Care teams need to evaluate collaboration with our patients –
Centers for Disease Control reports medications more holistically. And must become a routine part of how
that nearly 70% of adults 40-79 Image by Mizianitka from Pixabay we need to encourage open conver- we practice medicine.
years used one or more prescrip- sations between doctors and pa- John Whyte, MD, MPH, is chief
tions in the past 30 days and over concept gaining momentum in expense of patient health. It's about tients about medication goals, side executive officer and executive vice
20% used five or more prescrip- health care: deprescribing. ensuring that every medication pre- effects, and quality of life. president of the American Medical
tions. Deprescribing is the planned, scribed is truly necessary, evi- This cannot happen in isolation. Association.
Polypharmacy – the term for supervised process of reducing or dence-based, and aligned with a We need insurers to support time
taking five or more medications – stopping medications that may no patient's current health goals. for thoughtful medication reviews. HOPE IN
comes with risk. It disproportion- longer be beneficial – or may be But here's the bigger issue: If We need better coordination across RECOVERY
ately affects older adults and those causing harm. There are many rea- we truly want to reverse the tide of specialties and care settings. We
with multiple conditions. For these sons why a medication that was chronic disease in America, we need electronic health record devel-
patients, each additional pill can once appropriate may become un- need to go beyond managing symp- opers to follow government rules
increase the risk of falls, cognitive necessary or even risky. A patient's toms. We need to rethink the entire and allow users to reconcile a pa-
decline, and adverse events, con- condition may have improved, and approach – including how many tient's active medication list, cor-
tributing to tens of thousands of the medication is no longer needed. medications a person is on and rect inaccuracies, and include
emergency room visits and hospi- Or newer treatments may offer bet- why. Of course, many conditions non-prescription medicines and MEETING MONDAYS AT 6 P.M.
talizations each year. ter outcomes in place of current require lifelong treatment. But we dietary supplements.
POLISH CADETS
That's why the American Medi- medication. need to talk more honestly about MAIN FLOOR HALL
cal Association is urging physi- Deprescribing is not about de- the role of lifestyle – nutrition,
cians and patients to embrace a nying care or cutting costs at the physical activity, sleep, stress, and

THEME: THE OSCARS

ACROSS DOWN
1. Traction aid 1. Not NBC or ABC
6. Freddy's street 2. Reluctant
9. Reach a high 3. Pantyhose hue
13. Italian bowling 4. DNA and RNA, e.g.
14. Entrepreneur Gary Vayner- 5. Cups and saucers
chuk's alias, Gary ____ 6. 20-20, e.g.
15. Jolly good one 7. *"One Battle After Another"
16. Parallel grooves Best Actor nominee
17. Many, many moons 8. High IQ society
18. "Take it back!" 9. *#7's nominated co-star
19. *"Song Sung Blue" Best Ac- 10. "Anything ____?"
tress nominee 11. Wing-shaped
21. *Movie with most 2026 Oscar 12. K to Romans, pl.
nominations 15. Like athlete's foot
23. Make a seam 20. Behind on rent, e.g.
24. Vampire's tooth 22. Night spot
25. Tai's partner 24. At last
28. South American monkey 25. Necklace fastener
30. Naphthenic acid + palmitic acid 26. Popular garden perennial
35. Pilot's stunt 27. I to Greeks, pl.
37. Forbidden, to a baby 29. *2026 nominated Benicio del
39. Vampire of Greek mythology ____
40. Italian wine region 31. Benatar and Morita
41. Not Astroturf 32. Fly in ____, or a reminder of
43. Alpine lift the past
44. Sports figures, e.g. 33. Tarzan's swing rope
46. Cantina pot 34. *Fictional table tennis champ
47. Email folder 36. *Nominated "F1" star
48. Not vivid and bright 38. Nobel Peace Prize capital
50. Nessie's abode 42. Sacrum, pl.
52. *Jamie Foxx won for his role in 45. Communicating with spirits
this 2004 biopic event
53. Eagle's nest 49. Hawaiian flower garland
55. Unreliable newspaper 51. *Inspiration for #61 Across
57. *2026 nominated film with 54. Pep gathering
Stone and Plemons 56. Lawn ornament
61. *Chloé Zhao's nominee 57. Angler's hope
64. Newton or Stern 58. ____-friendly
65. Romanian money 59. Needlefish, pl.
67. Star-crossed one 60. Brewer's kiln
69. To the point 61. Color wheel elements
70. a.k.a sodium hydroxide 62. Like fairytale stepmothers?
71. Novelist Zola 63. Be a snitch
72. Formerly, formerly 66. Payment for an eye
73. Aye-aye 68. Hi-____ graphics
74. "He ____ it like it is"
Answers on page 7