The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Stopping long-term (>12 months) antidepressant use can be difficult due to unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Many people do not recognise withdrawal symptoms or understand how to minimise them while safely discontinuing antidepressants. To address the gaps, the authors developed the 'Redressing long-term antidepressant use' (RELEASE) resources, comprising a medicines information brochure, a decision aid, and drug- specific hyperbolic tapering protocols. ⋯ The RELEASE resources were found to be acceptable, useful, and potentially life changing. The effectiveness of these consumer-informed resources in supporting safe cessation of long-term antidepressants is currently being tested in general practice.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Complex advance care planning intervention in general practice (ACP-GP): a cluster-randomised controlled trial.
Advance care planning (ACP) is an iterative communication process about patients' preferences for future care. In general practice, there are barriers to ACP at patient, GP, and healthcare-system levels. A complex intervention may be necessary to reduce barriers. ⋯ ACP-GP did not improve patient engagement and GP self-efficacy more than usual care. Both groups showed patterns of increase from baseline. Trial procedures and the COVID-19 pandemic may have increased awareness about ACP.
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Observational Study
Private prescribing of controlled opioids in England, 2014-2021: a retrospective observational study.
Trends in NHS opioid prescribing have been well published, yet trends in private prescribing of opioids have not been widely established. ⋯ Controlled opioids prescribed by private prescribers in England decreased and were primarily prescribed in London. To ensure patient safety, the monitoring and surveillance of controlled opioids dispensed privately should continue and items linked to 'unidentified doctors' should be addressed further.