GuidelinesMarch 5, 20266 min read
Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines: What Clinicians Need to Know
The Maudsley Guidelines represent a paradigm shift in how psychiatry approaches medication withdrawal. Published by experts at the Maudsley Hospital in London, these guidelines formalize what many clinicians have observed: standard tapering protocols are often too fast and too aggressive.
At their core, the Maudsley Guidelines advocate for hyperbolic dose reductions — smaller percentage cuts at lower doses — based on the neuroscience of receptor occupancy. This approach produces more predictable outcomes and significantly reduces withdrawal severity.
Key Principles
- • Dose reductions should follow a hyperbolic curve, not linear steps
- • The final dose reductions matter most — going from 5mg to 2.5mg has more receptor impact than 20mg to 15mg
- • Patient-led pacing: advance only when the patient is stable
- • Liquid formulations or tablet splitting may be necessary for small final doses
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