Toolbox for Patients

Drug Class

Specific Drug examples

Item description

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?  

Deprescribing Pamphlet [PDF - 1.1 MB]

Empower brochure information about sleeping aids

Brochure [PDF - 6.2 MB]

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

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

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

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

Choosing wisely patient resources for deprescribing opiates

Website

Opioid quiz from Canadian deprescribing network

Bert’s story about getting off of opioids

Website

General deprescribing advice

Website for how to safely stop many medications

Website

Brochure explaining why medications affect us differently as we age.

5 questions to ask about your medications

Poster [PDF - 1.2 MB]