Toolbox for Healthcare Providers

Drug Class

Specific Drug examples

Item description

URL

Benzodiazepines, sedatives, hypnotics

diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, oxazepam, clorazepate, lorazepam, bromazepam, alprazolam, flurazepam, nitrazepam, triazolam, temazepam,

chloral hydrate, zopiclone, zolpidem

Is a Benzodiazepine or Z-Drug still needed for sleep?  

Pamphlet [PDF - 1.1 MB]

Empower brochure information about sleeping aids

How to get a good nights sleep without sleep aids

Sleep Brochure [PDF - 6 MB]

How to reduce sleeping medication safely

Fact Sheet [PDF - 270 KB]

Sleepwell NS many resources for stopping sleeping medications

Sleepwell NS website

Antipsychotics

chlorpromazine, methotrimeprazine, fluphenazine, perphenazine, prochlorperazine, trifluoperazine, thioproperazine, percyazine, haloperidol, droperidol, ziprasidone, lurasidone, flupenthixol, thiothixene, zuclopenthixol, pimozide, loxapine, clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, asenapine, risperidone, aripiprazole

Is an antipsychotic still needed

Pamphlet [PDF - 586 KB]

Deprescribing safely to meet life’s changes

Fact Sheet [PDF - 398 KB]

Empower brochure, information about antipsychotics

Anticholinergics (scoring 3 on anticholinergic cognitive burden scale)

amitriptyline, amoxapine, benztropine, carbinoxamine, chlorpeniramine, clemastine, clomipramine, clozapine, darifenacin, desipramine, dicyclomine, dimenhydrinate, diphenhydramine, doxepin, flavoxate, hydroxyzine, imipramine, meclizine, nortriptyline, olanzapine, orphenadrine, oxybutynin, paroxetine, perphenazine, procyclidine, promethazine, quetiapine, scopolamine, thioridazine, tolterodine, trifluperazine, truhexyphenidyl, trimipramine

Empower brochure for stopping anticholinergic antihistamines

Brochure [PDF - 3MB]

Proton Pump Inhibitors

omeprazole, pantoprazole, lansoprazole, rabeprazole, esomeprazole

Is a proton pump inhibitor still needed

Reducing proton pump inhibitors to meet life’s changes

Fact Sheet [PDF - 330 KB]

Empower brochure to help you stop proton pump inhibitors safely

Brochure [PDF - 4 MB]

Colchicine long term

colchicine

Medstopper information about stopping colchicine

Website

Antihypertensives with a history of falling, hypotension or orthostasis

Various agents

ie. hydrocholorothiazide, amlodipine, metoprolol, ramipril, losartan, diltaizem

Opiates

Codeine, hydromorphone, morphine, fentanyl, pentazocine, oxycodone, meperidine, tramadol

Government of Canada website with resources for patients and healthcare providers regarding opiates

Website

Questions and Answers: Prescription Opioids – Sticker and Handout Requirements for Pharmacists and Practitioners Government of Canada

Website

Opioids Aware: A resource for patients and healthcare professionals to support prescribing of opioid medicines for pain

Website

A pocket guide for opiate deprescribing

Guide [PDF - 1.9 MB]

General deprescribing advice

Website for how to safely stop many medications

Website