Aust Prescr
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Patients with epilepsy who have been free of seizures for at least two years may be able to stop their antiepileptic drugs. Discontinuation may be considered after an individualised harm-benefit assessment and consultation with a neurologist is recommended. It is paramount to discuss with patients whether the risk of seizure recurrence is worth the benefit of stopping the antiepileptic drug. ⋯ Approximately 30-50% of patients will relapse. If seizures recur, the majority of patients regain seizure control when treatment is resumed. However up to 20% do not achieve immediate remission.
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Palliative care is the province of everyone, particularly people managing older patients. Most people die of multimorbidity, frailty and dementia rather than cancer and will never see a palliative care specialist. People dying from non-malignant disease have symptoms and problems that are usually predictable. ⋯ Deprescribing is an effective way of preventing morbidity in this group. Getting to know a few medicines well for each symptom is important when providing palliative care for patients. Starting at low doses and increasing slowly is also key.