A new and exciting development in anaesthesia is that all anaesthetists are now to be trained in perioperative medicine, with the goal of delivering high quality care for the full patient journey from decision to operate, to complete recovery. In this new role anaesthetists would seem ideally placed to identify de-prescribing opportunities and initiate withdrawal of medicines. However, this approach without the involvement and agreement of the general practitioner runs the risk of creating confusion, of disrupting carefully considered management strategies, and of causing more harm than good. Perhaps patients might best be served by close collaboration between the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Royal College of General Practitioners in order that strategies for safe and effective de-prescribing during the perioperative period can be identified.
Competing interests:
No competing interests
14 July 2016
Steffan McDougall
Anaesthetic CT1
Dr Mark Davies, Anaesthetic Consultant
Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Prescot Street, Liverpool, L7 8XP
Rapid Response:
Role of perioperative medicine
A new and exciting development in anaesthesia is that all anaesthetists are now to be trained in perioperative medicine, with the goal of delivering high quality care for the full patient journey from decision to operate, to complete recovery. In this new role anaesthetists would seem ideally placed to identify de-prescribing opportunities and initiate withdrawal of medicines. However, this approach without the involvement and agreement of the general practitioner runs the risk of creating confusion, of disrupting carefully considered management strategies, and of causing more harm than good. Perhaps patients might best be served by close collaboration between the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Royal College of General Practitioners in order that strategies for safe and effective de-prescribing during the perioperative period can be identified.
Competing interests: No competing interests