Leveraging implementation science to increase the translation of deprescribing evidence into practice

Implementation science may address some of the limitations that impede the translation of deprescribing recommendations into practice and policy. Application of principles and standard terminologies from implementation science could improve understanding and interpretation of deprescribing research findings. As such, in this commentary we propose three main avenues to help achieve this. These include: 1) Define, differentiate, and apply the concepts of “evidence-based intervention” and “implementation strategy” for the field of deprescribing 2) Understand the importance of context and describing contextual determinants at play through use of implementation science frameworks 3) Specify and evaluate deprescribing implementation outcomes according to existing typologies The application of these concepts derived from implementation science could help inform future deprescribing needs for clinicians and researchers. Ultimately, this could help ensure the quality use of medications and examination of meaningful outcomes in deprescribing studies. This could result in more consistent and widespread translation of deprescribing evidence into practice and policy across various healthcare settings.