Medication reconciliation by a pharmacy technician in a mental health assessment unit

Med rec double check: Inpatient psychiatry medication errors identified on admission using Medicaid Web portals and electronic pharmaceutical claims data

Introduction

The role of pharmacists during medication reconciliation (MR) is well established, with a number of reports describing this in the context of psychiatric hospitalizations. However, medication errors (MEs) are common during transitions of care, with no exception during psychiatric hospitalizations. Our institution uses pharmacy-performed MR processes using patient interviews and reviewing objective sources, such as electronic pharmaceutical claims data (EPCD), which includes Medicaid Web portals. The inpatient psychiatric pharmacist reviews EPCD sources against previously pharmacy-completed MRs for new admissions, where if discrepancies are found, the patient is reinterviewed to identify and correct MEs.

Methods

We performed a prospective quality improvement project during 28 days to evaluate the quantity and classification of MEs upon admission to a 22-bed inpatient psychiatry unit.

Results

Of 52 included patients, where a cumulative 426 medications were reviewed, a total of 29 MEs in 16 patients were identified. Eight patients had discrepancies on their home medication lists when compared to EPCD, where 7 of these had at least 1 ME due to inaccurate MR.

Discussion

Of all the MEs identified, the greatest quantity was found secondary to the EPCD "double-check" method. The most common MEs in all patients were the omission of home medications (34%), wrong frequency (28%), and ordering medication the patient is not taking (10%). All patients admitted on long-acting injection antipsychotics had errors in last dose received. No MEs resulted in patient harm, and they were identified and corrected by the psychiatric pharmacist 97% of the time.

Potential Risk Factors of Drug-Related Problems in Hospital-Based Mental Health Units: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Reducing the occurrence of drug-related problems is a global health concern. In mental health hospitals, drug-related problems are common, leading to patient harm, and therefore understanding their potential risk factors is key for guiding future interventions designed to minimise their frequency.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review was to explore the potential risk factors of drug-related problems in mental health inpatient units.

METHODS

Six databases were searched between 2000 and 2021 to identify studies that investigated the potential risk factors of drug-related problems in adults hospitalised in mental health inpatient units. Data extraction was performed by two authors independently and Allan and Barker's criteria were used for study quality assessment. Studies were categorised based on drug-related problem types and potential risk factors were stratified as patient, medication, and hospital related.

RESULTS

A total of 22 studies were included. Studies mostly originated in Europe (n = 19/22, 86.4%), and used a multivariable logistic regression to identify potential risk factors (n = 13, 59%). Frequently investigated factors were patient age (n = 14/22), sex (n = 14/22) and the number of prescribed medications (n = 14/22). Of these, increasing the number of prescribed medications was the only factor consistently reported to be significantly associated with the occurrence of most types of drug-related problems (n = 11/14).

CONCLUSIONS

A variety of patient, medication and hospital-related potential risk factors of drug-related problems in mental health inpatient units were identified. These factors could guide the development of interventions to reduce drug-related problems such as pharmaceutical screening tools to identify high-risk patients for timely interventions. Future studies could test a wider range of possible factors associated with drug-related problems using standardised approaches.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO: CRD42021279946.

Health Care Providers’ Attitude and Satisfaction Toward Patient-Oriented Services Provided by Pharmacy Technicians at Three Faith-Based Hospitals

Background:

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians often work together to provide optimal pharmacy services, however, some low-middle-income countries lack strong regulatory mechanisms and have an inadequate number of pharmacists, necessitating some hospitals to rely on pharmacy technicians providing direct patient care services.

Objectives:

This study sort to investigate health care providers’ attitudes and satisfaction toward patient-oriented pharmacy services offered by pharmacy technicians at 3 faith-based hospitals in Cameroon.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2021. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 159 health care providers (HCPs) in 3 institutions of the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services. The questionnaire was made up of 3 parts evaluating HCPs’ attitudes and satisfaction.

Results:

A total of 140 questionnaires were completed (88.1%) response rate. The majority of respondents were female (70%) and <35 years (60.7%). Almost all respondents showed a positive attitude toward pharmacy technicians’ role in patient education (90%) and provision of medication information (93.6%). However, only 46% agreed that pharmacy technicians should take medication histories. The majority of respondents were satisfied with overall pharmacy services (80.7%). Only 25% were satisfied with pharmacy technicians’ participation in ward rounds. Gender was associated with attitude of respondents ( P = 0.02). Factors associated with satisfaction of respondents included profession ( P = 0.047) and work experience ( P = 0.008).

Conclusions:

Our results revealed a positive attitude and overall satisfaction with technician-led patient-oriented pharmacy services. Additional training, clear job descriptions, and direct pharmacist supervision could ensure the quality and safety of these services.

Clinical Pharmacy in Psychiatry: Towards Promoting Clinical Expertise in Psychopharmacology

Although clinical pharmacy is a discipline that emerged in the 1960s, the question of precisely how pharmacists can play a role in therapeutic optimization remains unanswered. In the field of mental health, psychiatric pharmacists are increasingly involved in medication reconciliation and therapeutic patient education (or psychoeducation) to improve medication management and enhance medication adherence, respectively. However, psychiatric pharmacists must now assume a growing role in team-based models of care and engage in shared expertise in psychopharmacology in order to truly invest in therapeutic optimization of psychotropics. The increased skills in psychopharmacology and expertise in psychotherapeutic drug monitoring can contribute to future strengthening of the partnership between psychiatrists and psychiatric pharmacists. We propose a narrative review of the literature in order to show the relevance of a clinical pharmacist specializing in psychiatry. With this in mind, herein we will address: (i) briefly, the areas considered the basis of the deployment of clinical pharmacy in mental health, with medication reconciliation, therapeutic education of the patient, as well as the growing involvement of clinical pharmacists in the multidisciplinary reflection on pharmacotherapeutic decisions; (ii) in more depth, we present data concerning the use of therapeutic drug monitoring and shared expertise in psychopharmacology between psychiatric pharmacists and psychiatrists. These last two points are currently in full development in France through the deployment of Resource and Expertise Centers in PsychoPharmacology (CREPP in French).

Medication Safety in Mental Health Hospitals: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Incidents Reported to the National Reporting and Learning System

BACKGROUND

Medication safety incidents commonly occur in mental health hospitals. There is a need to improve the understanding of the circumstances that are thought to have played a part in the origin of these incidents to design safer systems to improve patient safety.

AIM

This study aimed to undertake a mixed-methods analysis of medication safety incidents reported to the National Reporting and Learning System in England and Wales in 2010 to 2017.

METHOD

Quantitative analyses of anonymized medication safety incidents occurring in mental health hospitals that were reported to the National Reporting and Learning System during an 8-year period were undertaken to characterize their type, severity, and the medication(s) involved. Second, a content analysis of the free-text reports associated with all incidents of at least moderate harm severity was undertaken to identify the underlying contributory factors.

RESULTS

Overall, 94,134 medication incident reports were examined, of which 10.4% (n = 9811) were reported to have resulted in harm. The 3 most frequent types of reported medication incidents involved omission of medication (17,302; 18.3%), wrong frequency (11,882; 12.6%), and wrong/unclear dose of medication (10,272; 10.9%). Medicines from the central nervous system (42,609; 71.0%), cardiovascular (4537; 7.6%), and endocrine (3669; 6.1%) medication classes were the most frequently involved with incidents. Failure to follow protocols (n = 93), lack of continuity of care (n = 92), patient behaviors (n = 62), and lack of stock (n = 51) were frequently reported as contributory factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Medication incidents pose an enduring threat to patient safety in mental health hospitals. This study has identified important targets that can guide the tailored development of remedial interventions.

Assessing the impact of virtual medication history technicians on medication reconciliation discrepancies

Background To overcome resource limitations, Ascension hospitals have implemented a virtual pharmacy technician program to facilitate the completion of medication histories in select emergency departments. Objective This multicenter retrospective study aimed to assess the impact of taking a medication history virtually by pharmacy technicians on medication reconciliation accuracy in comparison to other clinicians. Setting Ascension Seton hospitals in Austin, Texas, United States. Method A retrospective chart review including patients above the age of 18, who were directly admitted from the emergency department between January 1, 2019 and August 31, 2019. Study investigators identified, quantified and categorized unintentional discrepancies by comparing medication histories to reconciled medication orders at admission. Descriptive analysis was applied to patient demographics. Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests were applied to continuous and categorical outcomes, respectively. Main outcome measure The type and number of unintentional discrepancies at admission. Results In 208 patients, a total of 190 unintentional discrepancies were identified. The rate of unintentional discrepancies per medication was significantly lower for virtual pharmacy technicians than other clinicians (8.6% vs. 14.8% respectively, p < 0.0001). The most common type of unintentional discrepancies was omission in both groups. Length of stay, readmissions, and emergency department visits were similar in both groups. The rate of incomplete medication histories was significantly lower for virtual pharmacy technicians than other clinicians (6.7% vs. 62.5% respectively, p < 0.0001). Conclusion Implementing a virtual medication history technician program in the emergency department can revolutionize the medication history completion process and lower unintentional medication discrepancy rates.

A blueprint for success: Using an implementation framework to create a medication history technician pilot program

BACKGROUND

Medication discrepancies at transitions of care may compromise patient safety. Trained pharmacy technicians can reduce harmful medication discrepancies at transitions of care by collecting medication histories.

OBJECTIVE

We describe how to create a program integrating medication history technicians (MHTs) into the hospital discharge process using implementation science.

PRACTICE DESCRIPTION

We created our MHT program at a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital.

PRACTICE INNOVATION

We used an evidence-based framework and implementation science to tailor our MHT program to meet local stakeholder needs.

EVALUATION METHODS

We completed a literature review and review of current discharge practices. Then, we completed a workflow pilot, a needs assessment, and semistructured interviews with pharmacy technicians and pharmacists. We integrated these findings to identify barriers of MHT program implementation. Finally, we mapped these barriers to implementation strategies to create an MHT program implementation blueprint.

RESULTS

The literature review and review of current discharge practices revealed opportunities for our program to reduce medication discrepancies. We applied these findings to our proof-of-concept workflow pilot, which reduced medication discrepancy rates at discharge. When we explored barriers in the needs assessment, we learned that 4 of 6 pharmacy technicians had some training conducting medication histories, but 5 of 6 requested additional training for the new MHT role. We explored these and additional barriers in semistructured interviews. Four themes emerged: elements of pharmacy technician training, challenges to implementation, program logistics and workflow, and pharmacy technician self-efficacy. We mapped barriers to implementation strategies to create an MHT program implementation blueprint, including developing pharmacy technician training materials, modifying our workflow, creating program evaluation materials, and strategizing how to overcome anticipated and current implementation barriers.

CONCLUSIONS

We used implementation science to create a tailored MHT program. Others may adapt our implementation blueprint to fit local stakeholder needs.

[Optimising drug dispensation by pharmacy technicians: A quality approach]

INTRODUCTION

In a context of continuity of quality improvement, we are committed to enhancing the care management and medication management of outpatients in the drug dispensation unit of our pharmacy. An audit was carried out to assess the training needs of pharmacy technicians (PTs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All drug dispensations done over a 9-week period by the units PTs were audited. Data collected were: PTs' presentation to the patient, duration of drug dispensation, notion of introduction or renewal, the tools used during retrocession, and the explanations given to the patient about her/his treatment. PT perceptions and patient satisfaction were evaluated on a Likert scale from 1 to 5 and on a scale from 1 to 4, respectively.

RESULTS

One hundred drug dispensation were audited: 21 introductions and 79 renewals. Tools were used in 52% of introductions and 11% of renewals. Administration modalities were explained for all introductions but for only 57% of renewals, 47% of adverse events and 9.5% of storage methods. Tolerance was discussed in 34% of drug dispensations and compliance in 19%. The scores of PT perception and patient satisfaction were 4.4/5 and between 3/4 and 3.9/4 depending on the items, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Several areas for improvement are highlighted in this survey. PTs' complementary should include communication with outpatients. This approach is an integral part of the ISO 9001 certification obtained in 2019 in our drug dispensation unit.

Description of Position Ads for Pharmacy Technicians

Pharmacy technician roles are evolving alongside the changing role of a pharmacist. There is currently no uniform definition of a pharmacy technician's role in the pharmacy workforce. The objective of this study was to look at the United States-based pharmacy technician advertisement database from Pharmacy Week to find patterns and commonalities in the duties and qualifications of pharmacy technicians. A retrospective analysis was performed on fourteen days of pharmacy technician job listings from Pharmacy Week from the year 2018. Information obtained from the listings included job title, location, setting, type of job, job duties, and job requirements. Job duties and requirements were coded by themes. Fourteen days of data resulted in 21,007 individual position listings. A majority of the job listings were for full-time positions (96.4%) and most were in the retail setting (96.78%). The most common requirements were registration with State Board, high school diploma, ability to perform tasks, communication, and physical. The most common job duties were general office etiquette, performing tasks under the direct supervision of the pharmacist, and professionalism. This study provides a description of the evolving role of pharmacy technicians through the broad variety in expectations for requirements of pharmacy technician applicants and the duties they perform when hired.

Improving patient safety through a pharmacist-led medication reconciliation programme in nursing homes for the elderly in Spain

Background Medication errors frequently occur during transitions of care and may have damaging consequences, especially amongst the elderly. Some studies show that quality improvement initiatives with a focus on medication reconciliation have resulted in better health outcomes and a reduced number of readmissions. Objective The primary objective of this study was to quantify and classify medication reconciliation errors detected by a pharmacist and taking place during transitions of care between nursing homes and the health system. Secondary objectives were to assess the relation between error frequency and polypharmacy or between error frequency and the transition type and to describe the medication concerned by this error. Setting Five elderly nursing homes of the health care area in Ferrol (Spain) between January 2013 and December 2017 Method A prospective descriptive study on medication discrepancies found during pharmacist's medication reconciliation. This was performed at first admission and after every transition of care upon the patient's return to the nursing home. Interventions were categorized according to the consensus terminology. Main outcome measure Number and type of medication errors, percentage of transitions of care and percentage of patients who suffered at least one reconciliation error were measured. Results At least one medication error was found in 16% of the 2123 studied care transitions, summing up 417 reconciliation errors in 273/981 patients (28%). Wrong dosing (48%) and medication omissions (31%) were the most frequently detected errors. High-risk medication was involved in 40% of the cases. A positive association between polypharmacy (≥ 5 chronic medications) and the frequency of reconciliation errors was found. On the other hand, different transition types did not show a difference in error frequency. Conclusion Reconciliation errors were found in almost 30% of our patients. Unlike other studies, visits to outpatient specialist clinics were included as another type of healthcare transition, encompassing an important percentage of reconciliation errors. The pharmacist helped to reduce these errors in a particularly fragile population such as institutionalized patients.

[Is the medication reconciliation achievable and relevant in Psychiatry?: Feedback on the implementation of medication reconciliation on hospital admission]

OBJECTIVE

The health care pathway of patients suffering from mental disorders is complex and includes a risk of interruption of treatment. We implemented medication reconciliation at patients' admission to mental health care service in February 2017. The aim of this study was to achieve a feedback experience answering our questions about the feasibility and relevance of this process.

METHOD

A prospective analysis of medication reconciliations over the first 7 months of implementation was carried out according to 3 activity indicators and 6 performance indicators.

RESULTS

A total of 39 patients were reconciled and 56.4 % of them were in enforced hospitalization unit. All patients were interviewed by the pharmacist. Collected information during this interview was concordant with at least one of the other sources in 70.4 % of the cases. Thirteen patients were not reconciled within 72h after their admission because of their psychiatric pathology. The average number of unintentional medication discrepancy (UMD) detected was 0.97 per reconciled patient. The rate of major gravity UMD was 23.7 %. The number of UMDs per patient was significantly higher in enforced hospitalization unit (P<0.05). UMDs were essentially related to somatic drugs (81.6 %). Nearly 95 % of the detected UMDs resulted in a modification of prescription.

CONCLUSION

These results show that medication reconciliation at patients' admission is feasible and relevant in psychiatry. To limit constraints related to psychiatric pathology, we propose to perform medication reconciliation of patients more than 72 hours after patient admission provided that their clinical condition allows it.

Medicines reconciliation at the community mental health team-general practice interface: quality improvement study

Aims and methodTo increase the proportion of patients with no psychotropic drug discrepancies at the community mental health team (CMHT)-general practice interface. Three CMHTs participated. Over a 14 month period, quality improvement methodologies were used: individual patient-level feedback to patient's prescribers, run charts and meetings with CMHTs. RESULTS: One CMHT improved medicines reconciliation accuracy and demonstrated significant reductions in prescribing discrepancies. One in three (119/356) patients had ≥1 discrepancy involving 20% (166/847) of all prescribed psychotropics. Discrepancies were graded as: 'fatal' (0%), 'serious' (17%) and 'negligible/minor harm' (83%) but were associated with extra avoidable prescribing costs. For medicines routinely supplied by secondary care, 68% were not recorded in general practice electronic prescribing systems.Clinical implicationsImprovements in medicines reconciliation accuracy were achieved for one CMHT. This may have been partly owing to a multidisciplinary team approach to sharing and addressing prescribing discrepancies. Improving prescribing accuracy may help to reduce avoidable drug-related harms to patients.Declaration of interestNone.

Medical errors: Healthcare professionals' perspective at a tertiary hospital in Kuwait

Medical errors are of economic importance and can contribute to serious adverse events for patients. Medical errors refer to preventable events resulting from healthcare interactions, whether these events harm the patient or not. In Kuwait, there is a paucity literature detailing the causes, forms, and risks of medical errors in their state-funded healthcare facilities. This study aimed to explore medical errors, their causes and preventive strategies in a Kuwait tertiary hospital based on the perceptions and experience of a cross-section of healthcare professionals using a questionnaire with 27 open (n = 10) and closed (n = 17) questions. The recruited healthcare professionals in this study included pharmacists, nurses, physicians, dentists, radiographers, hospital administrators, surgeons, nutritionists, and physiotherapists. The collected data were analysed quantitatively using descriptive statistics. A total of 203 participants filled and completed the survey questionnaire. The frequency of medical errors in Kuwait was found to be high at 60.3% ranging from incidences of prolonged hospital stays (32.9%), adverse events and life-threatening complications (32.3%), and fatalities (20.9%). The common medical errors result from incomplete instructions, incorrect dosage, and incorrect route of administration, diagnosis errors, and labelling errors. The perceived causes of these medical errors include high workload, lack of support systems, stress, medical negligence, inadequate training, miscommunication, poor collaboration, and non-adherence to safety guidelines among the healthcare professionals.

[Involvement of hospital pharmacy technician for expanding medication reconciliation process in France: Actors' willingness and opinions]

OBJECTIVES

Medication reconciliation is widely promoted by international health authorities. Its expansion requires human resources, which are limited and unequally distributed among health care facilities. Recent international studies support the involvement of pharmacy technician in the medication reconciliation process but his role remains unstructured in France. We aimed to assess pharmacy technicians' opinions and willingness to be involved in the medication reconciliation process expansion and to identify the levers and barriers of the project.

METHODS

A field study was conducted among health facilities of our territory hospital group. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with different pharmacy technicians. Data were analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis approach.

RESULTS

Overall, 12 pharmacy technicians from 5 hospitals were interviewed and almost all assumed their rightful place in the medication reconciliation process (n=11), with a view to revaluating tasks. For all pharmacy technicians, the main barriers to participate in medication reconciliation were the lack of time and training. The spread of a "patient culture", the supervision by pharmacists, the desire to be part of the care team in the ward and additional training requests were major levers of change.

CONCLUSIONS

Pharmacy technicians' role in expanding medication reconciliation process is legitimate and must be standardized in France. The deployment of the project requires to be formalized within a territory and should consider and develop local organisations.

Impact of a specialist mental health pharmacy team on medicines optimisation in primary care for patients on a severe mental illness register: a pilot study

Objective

Medication arrangements for patients with severe mental illness (SMI), including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, can be complex. Some have shared care between primary and secondary services while others have little specialist input. This study investigated the contribution a specialist mental health clinical pharmacy team could make to medicines optimisation for patients on the SMI register in primary care. Research shows that specialist mental health pharmacists improve care in inpatient settings. However, little is known about their potential impact in primary care.

Method

Five general practice surgeries were allocated half a day per week of a specialist pharmacist and technician for 12 months. The technician reviewed primary and secondary care records for discrepancies. Records were audited for high-dose or multiple antipsychotics, physical health monitoring and adherence. Issues were referred to the pharmacist for review. Surgery staff were encouraged to refer psychotropic medication queries to the team. Interventions were recorded and graded.

Results

316/472 patients on the SMI register were prescribed antipsychotics or mood stabilisers. 23 (7%) records were updated with missing clozapine and depot information. Interventions by the pharmacist included clarifying discharge information (12/104), reviewing high-dose and multiple antipsychotic prescribing (18/104), correcting errors (10/104), investigating adherence issues (16/104), following up missing health checks (22/104) and answering queries from surgery staff (23/104). Five out of six interventions possibly preventing hospital admission were for referral of non-adherent patients.

Conclusion

The pharmacy team found a variety of issues including incomplete medicines reconciliation, adherence issues, poor communication, drug errors and the need for specialist advice. The expertise of the team enabled timely resolution of issues and bridges were built between primary and secondary care.

Frequency and Nature of Medication Errors and Adverse Drug Events in Mental Health Hospitals: a Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Little is known about the frequency and nature of medication errors (MEs) and adverse drug events (ADEs) that occur in mental health hospitals.

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review aims to provide an up-to-date and critical appraisal of the epidemiology and nature of MEs and ADEs in this setting.

METHOD

Ten electronic databases were searched, including MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, PsycINFO, Scopus, British Nursing Index, ASSIA, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (1999 to October 2016). Studies that examined the rate of MEs or ADEs in mental health hospitals were included, and quality appraisal of the included studies was conducted.

RESULT

In total, 20 studies were identified. The rate of MEs ranged from 10.6 to 17.5 per 1000 patient-days (n = 2) and of ADEs from 10.0 to 42.0 per 1000 patient-days (n = 2) with 13.0-17.3% of ADEs found to be preventable. ADEs were rated as clinically significant (66.0-71.0%), serious (28.0-31.0%), or life threatening (1.4-2.0%). Prescribing errors occurred in 4.5-6.3% of newly written or omitted prescription items (n = 3); dispensing errors occurred in 4.6% of opportunities for error (n = 1) and in 8.8% of patients (n = 1); and medication administration errors occurred in 3.3-48.0% of opportunities for error (n = 5). MEs and ADEs were frequently associated with psychotropics, with atypical antipsychotic drugs commonly involved. Variability in study setting and data collection methods limited direct comparisons between studies.

CONCLUSION

Medication errors occur frequently in mental health hospitals and are associated with risk of patient harm. Effective interventions are needed to target these events and improve patient safety.

Creating and evaluating an opportunity for medication reconciliation in the adult population of South Africa to improve patient care

OBJECTIVE

Adverse drug events (ADEs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality, with more than 50% of ADEs being preventable. Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) are typically the result of an incomplete medication history, prescribing or dispensing error, as well as over- or under-use of prescribed pharmacotherapy. Medication reconciliation is the process of creating the most accurate list of medications a patient is taking and subsequently comparing the list against the different transitions of care. It is used to reduce medication discrepancies, and thereby ultimately decreasing ADEs. However, little is known about medicine reconciliation activities among public hospitals in South Africa.

METHODS

Prospective quantitative, descriptive design among Internal and Surgical wards in a leading public hospital in South Africa.

RESULTS

145 study participants were enrolled. Over 1300 (1329) medicines were reviewed of which there was a significant difference (p = 0.006) when comparing the medications that the patient was taking before or during hospitalisation. A total of 552 (41.53%) interventions were undertaken and the majority of patients had at least 3.96 medication discrepancies. The most common intervention upon admission was transcribing the home medication onto the hospital prescription (65.2%) followed by medication duplication (13.44%). During patient's hospital stay, interventions included patient counselling (32.5%) and stopping the previous treatment (37.5%).

CONCLUSION

To ensure continuity of patient care, medication reconciliation should be implemented throughout patients' hospital stay. This involves all key professionals in hospitals.

Clozapine and concomitant medications: Assessing the completeness and accuracy of medication records for people prescribed clozapine under shared care arrangements

RATIONALE, AIM, AND OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study is to assess the completeness and accuracy of medication records held by stakeholders (secondary care, general practice, and community pharmacy) for clozapine consumers managed in a shared care programme.

METHODS

This was an exploratory, descriptive study examining secondary and primary care medication records in a large, urban, public mental health service setting in Queensland, Australia. Consumers (18-65 years old) prescribed clozapine under shared care management with capacity to consent were eligible (n = 55) to participate. Information from medication and dispensing records was used by a pharmacist to compile a best possible medication history for each consumer. Discrepancies were identified through reconciliation of stakeholder records with the history. Discrepancies were defined as an omission, addition, or administration discrepancy (difference in dose, frequency, or clozapine brand).

RESULTS

Thirty-five (63.6%) consumers consented for records to be reviewed. Overall, 32 (91.4%) consumers had at least 1 discrepancy in their records with a mean of 4.9 discrepancies per consumer. Of 172 discrepancies, 127 (73.8%) were omissions. Primarily, concomitant medicines were omitted in 19/35 (54%) of secondary care records while clozapine was omitted in 13/32 (40.6%) of community pharmacies records.

CONCLUSIONS

Discrepancies were highly prevalent in the shared care medication records of clozapine consumers of this service. Where there is incomplete and inaccurate medication information, there is a risk of suboptimal clinical decision making, increasing the likelihood of adverse drug events. This study demonstrates a need for improved documentation and timely access to accurate and complete medication records for shared care stakeholders. Expanding the pharmacist's role in this setting could improve medication accuracy in documentation and related communication.

Pharmacy Students and Pharmacy Technicians in Medication Reconciliation: A Review of the Current Literature

Objective:

A literature review was conducted to examine how pharmacy students and technicians have been utilized in medication reconciliation processes in an effort to evaluate expanded roles for pharmacy students and technicians. Data were summarized on accuracy of obtaining medication histories, time requirements, discrepancy identification, and cost savings. Limitations and areas for future research also were identified.

Data Sources:

A search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and PsycINFO and a manual searching of bibliographies were performed.

Study Selection:

Articles were included in this literature review if they focused on medication reconciliation with pharmacy student or technician outcomes independent of pharmacist involvement, they are available in English from any country, and the outcomes were empirical.

Data Synthesis:

Of 2112 identified studies, 32 met the inclusion criteria. The literature review revealed pharmacy technicians or students were involved in several medication reconciliation activities. Trained pharmacy students and technicians were able to obtain thorough medication histories as well as identify medication history discrepancies and take appropriate action to correct these discrepancies. Through the use of pharmacy students and technicians in the medication reconciliation process, hospitals experienced cost savings and other health-care professionals had more time for other patient care activities as well as an increased trust in the accuracy of medication histories.

Conclusion:

These findings suggest that pharmacy students and technicians are accurate, time efficient, decrease costs, and provide support to other health-care professionals when they are included in the medication reconciliation process.

Transition of care: A set of pharmaceutical interventions improves hospital discharge prescriptions from an internal medicine ward

BACKGROUND

Continuity of care between hospitals and community pharmacies needs to be improved to ensure medication safety. This study aimed to evaluate whether a set of pharmaceutical interventions to prepare hospital discharge facilitates the transition of care.

METHODS

This study took place in the internal medicine ward and in surrounding community pharmacies. The intervention group's patients underwent a set of pharmaceutical interventions during their hospital stay: medication reconciliation at admission, medication review, and discharge planning. The two groups were compared with regards to: number of community pharmacist interventions, time spent on discharge prescriptions, and number of treatment changes.

RESULTS

Comparison between the groups showed a much lower (77% lower) number of community pharmacist interventions per discharge prescription in the intervention (n=54 patients) compared to the control group (n=64 patients): 6.9 versus 1.6 interventions, respectively (p<0.0001); less time working on discharge prescriptions; less interventions requiring a telephone call to a hospital physician. The number of medication changes at different steps was also significantly lower in the intervention group: 40% fewer (p<0.0001) changes between hospital admission and discharge, 66% fewer (p<0.0001) between hospital discharge and community pharmacy care, and 25% fewer (p=0.002) between community pharmacy care and care by a general practitioner.

CONCLUSION

An intervention group underwent significantly fewer medication changes in subsequent steps in the transition of care after a set of interventions performed during their hospital stay. Community pharmacists had to perform fewer interventions on discharge prescriptions. Altogether, this improves continuity of care.

Expanded Roles for Pharmacy Technicians in the Medication Reconciliation Process: A Qualitative Review

Background: Collection of a complete and accurate medication history is an essential component of the medication reconciliation process. The role of pharmacy technicians in supporting medication reconciliation has been the subject of recent interest. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to review the existing literature on pharmacy technician involvement in the medication reconciliation process and to summarize outcomes on the quality and accuracy of pharmacy technician-collected medication histories. Method: A literature review was conducted using MEDLINE and Academic Search Premier (1948 - April 2015). Results: Sixteen papers were identified, with 12 containing a formal evaluation of outcomes. Three were purely descriptive, and 9 compared the pharmacy technician's performance to pharmacists, nurses, physicians, and/or interdisciplinary teams. Studies used a variety of endpoints, but they demonstrated similar or improved outcomes by engaging pharmacy technicians. Evidence demonstrates that trained pharmacy technicians are able to gather medication histories with similar completeness and accuracy to other health care professionals. Conclusion: The use of pharmacy technicians may be a viable strategy for developing and expanding medication reconciliation processes with appropriate supervision. Future efforts should focus on evaluating the impact of expanded roles for pharmacy technicians in the health care system; assessing the need for standardization of pharmacy technician education, training, and certification; and obtaining clarification from state pharmacy boards regarding these expanded roles.

Expanded pharmacy technician roles: Accepting verbal prescriptions and communicating prescription transfers

As the role of the clinical pharmacist continues to develop and advance, it is critical to ensure pharmacists can operate in a practice environment and workflow that supports the full deployment of their clinical skills. When pharmacy technician roles are optimized, patient safety can be enhanced and pharmacists may dedicate more time to advanced clinical services. Currently, 17 states allow technicians to accept verbal prescriptions called in by a prescriber or prescriber's agent, or transfer a prescription order from one pharmacy to another. States that allow these activities generally put few legal limitations on them, and instead defer to the professional judgment of the supervising pharmacist whether to delegate these tasks or not. These activities were more likely to be seen in states that require technicians to be registered and certified, and in states that have accountability mechanisms (e.g., discipline authority) in place for technicians. There is little evidence to suggest these tasks cannot be performed safely and accurately by appropriately trained technicians, and the track record of success with these tasks spans four decades in some states. Pharmacists can adopt strong practice policies and procedures to mitigate the risk of harm from verbal orders, such as instituting read-back/spell-back techniques, or requiring the indication for each phoned-in medication, among other strategies. Pharmacists may also exercise discretion in deciding to whom to delegate these tasks. As the legal environment becomes more permissive, we foresee investment in more robust education and training of technicians to cover these activities. Thus, with the adoption of robust practice policies and procedures, delegation of verbal orders and prescription transfers can be safe and effective, remove undue stress on pharmacists, and potentially free up pharmacist time for higher-order clinical care.

The medication reconciliation process and classification of discrepancies: a systematic review

AIMS

Medication reconciliation is a part of the medication management process and facilitates improved patient safety during care transitions. The aims of the study were to evaluate how medication reconciliation has been conducted and how medication discrepancies have been classified.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PubMed, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA), and Web of Science (WOS), in accordance with the PRISMA statement up to April 2016. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they evaluated the types of medication discrepancy found through the medication reconciliation process and contained a classification system for discrepancies. Data were extracted by one author based on a predefined table, and 10% of included studies were verified by two authors.

RESULTS

Ninety-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Approximately one-third of included studies (n = 35, 36.8%) utilized a 'gold' standard medication list. The majority of studies (n = 57, 60%) used an empirical classification system and the number of classification terms ranged from 2 to 50 terms. Whilst we identified three taxonomies, only eight studies utilized these tools to categorize discrepancies, and 11.6% of included studies used different patient safety related terms rather than discrepancy to describe the disagreement between the medication lists.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest that clear and consistent information on prevalence, types, causes and contributory factors of medication discrepancy are required to develop suitable strategies to reduce the risk of adverse consequences on patient safety. Therefore, to obtain that information, we need a well-designed taxonomy to be able to accurately measure, report and classify medication discrepancies in clinical practice.

Improved Organizational Outcomes Associated With Incorporation of Early Clinical Experiences for Second-Year Student Pharmacists at an Academic Medical Center

Purpose:

To assess the feasibility of engaging second professional year student pharmacists in the medication reconciliation process on hospital and health system pharmacy practice outcomes.

Methods:

Student pharmacists in their second professional year in the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program at our institution were randomly selected from volunteers to participate. Each participant completed training prior to completing three 5-hour evening shifts. Organizational metrics, student pharmacist perception regarding quality of interactions with health care professionals, and pharmacist perceptions were collected.

Results:

A total of 83 medication histories were performed on complex medical patients (57.0 ± 19.2 years, 51% female, 65% Caucasian, 12 ± 6 medications); of those, 93% were completed within 24 hours of hospital admission. Second professional student pharmacists completed on average 1.9 ± 0.6 medication histories per shift (range 1-3). Student pharmacists identified 0.9 medication-related problems per patient in collaboration with a pharmacist preceptor. Student pharmacists believed the quality of their interactions with health care professionals in the Student Medication and Reconciliation Team (SMART) program was good or excellent. The program has been well received by clinical pharmacists involved in its design and implementation.

Conclusion:

This study provides evidence that second professional year student pharmacists can assist pharmacy departments in the care of medically complex patients upon hospital admission.

An intervention to maximize medication management by caregivers of persons with memory loss: Intervention overview and two-month outcomes

Overseeing medication-taking is a critical aspect of dementia caregiving. This trial examined a tailored, problem-solving intervention designed to maximize medication management practices among caregivers of persons with memory loss. Eighty-three community-dwelling dyads (patient + informal caregiver) with a baseline average of 3 medication deficiencies participated. Home- and telephone-based sessions were delivered by nurse or social worker interventionists and addressed basics of managing medications, plus tailored problem solving for specific challenges. The outcome of medication management practices was assessed using the Medication Management Instrument for Deficiencies in the Elderly (MedMaIDE) and an investigator-developed Medication Deficiency Checklist (MDC). Linear mixed modeling showed both the intervention and usual care groups had fewer medication management problems as measured by the MedMaIDE (F = 6.91, p < .01) and MDC (F = 9.72, p < .01) at 2 months post-intervention. Reduced medication deficiencies in both groups suggests that when nurses or social workers merely raise awareness of the importance of medication adherence, there may be benefit.

Antimicrobial Stewardship for a Geriatric Behavioral Health Population

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing public health concern. Antimicrobial stewardship and multi-disciplinary intervention can prevent inappropriate antimicrobial use and improve patient care. Special populations, especially older adults and patients with mental health disorders, can be particularly in need of such intervention. The purpose of this project was to assess the impact of pharmacist intervention on appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing on a geriatric psychiatric unit (GPU). Patients ≥18 years old prescribed oral antibiotics during GPU admission were included. Antimicrobial appropriateness was assessed pre- and post-pharmacist intervention. During the six-month pre- and post-intervention phase, 63 and 70 patients prescribed antibiotics were identified, respectively. Subjects in the post-intervention group had significantly less inappropriate doses for indication compared to the pre-intervention group (10.6% vs. 23.9%, p = 0.02), and significantly less antibiotics prescribed for an inappropriate duration (15.8% vs. 32.4%, p < 0.01). There were no significant differences for use of appropriate drug for indication or appropriate dose for renal function between groups. Significantly more patients in the post intervention group had medications prescribed with appropriate dose, duration, and indication (51% vs. 66%, p = 0.04). Pharmacist intervention was associated with decreased rates of inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing on a geriatric psychiatric unit.

Medicines reconciliation in comparison with NICE guidelines across secondary care mental health organisations

BACKGROUND

Medicines reconciliation-identifying and maintaining an accurate list of a patient's current medications-should be undertaken at all transitions of care and available to all patients.

OBJECTIVE

A self-completion web survey was conducted for chief pharmacists (or equivalent) to evaluate medicines reconciliation levels in secondary care mental health organisations.

SETTING

The survey was sent to secondary care mental health organisations in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

METHOD

The survey was launched via Bristol Online Surveys. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data was collected through respondents free-text answers to specific questions.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURE

Investigate how medicines reconciliation is delivered, incorporate a clear description of the role of pharmacy staff and identify areas of concern.

RESULTS

Forty-two (52 % response rate) surveys were completed. Thirty-seven (88.1 %) organisations have a formal policy for medicines reconciliation with defined steps. Results show that the pharmacy team (pharmacists and pharmacy technicians) are the main professionals involved in medicines reconciliation with a high rate of doctors also involved. Training procedures frequently include an induction by pharmacy for doctors whilst the pharmacy team are generally trained by another member of pharmacy. Mental health organisations estimate that nearly 80 % of medicines reconciliation is carried out within 24 h of admission. A full medicines reconciliation is not carried out on patient transfer between mental health wards; instead quicker and less exhaustive variations are implemented. 71.4 % of organisations estimate that pharmacy staff conduct daily medicine reconciliations for acute admission wards (Monday to Friday). However, only 38 % of organisations self-report to pharmacy reconciling patients' medication for other teams that admit from primary care.

CONCLUSION

Most mental health organisations appear to be complying with NICE guidance on medicines reconciliation for their acute admission wards. However, medicines reconciliation is conducted less frequently on other units that admit from primary care and rarely completed on transfer when it significantly differs to that on admission. Formal training and competency assessments on medicines reconciliation should be considered as current training varies and adherence to best practice is questionable.

MEDICATION SYSTEM: ANALYSIS OF ACTIONS TAKEN BY PROFESSIONALS IN PSYCHIATRIC UNITS

ABSTRACT This study analyzed the medication systems in psychiatric units of a general hospital and a psychiatric hospital in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It is a quantitative and cross-sectional, exploratory survey study with 144 professionals from the areas of medication, nursing and pharmacy. Data were collected by direct, non-participative observation and by medical records review. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Factors that affect patient safety, such as interruptions during prescription, handwritten changes to electronic prescriptions, limited handling of the electronic prescription system, unavailable clinical pharmacy, mistakes in activities related to the preparation and administration of medications and other factors were identified. The study reveals the susceptible points for the occurrence of medication errors in psychiatric hospitalization departments and discusses recommendations and technological resources that can promote security in the medication system.

Pharmacist-Led Medication Reviews to Identify and Collaboratively Resolve Drug-Related Problems in Psychiatry - A Controlled, Clinical Trial

Aim of the study

This prospective, controlled trial aimed to assess the effect of pharmacist-led medication reviews on the medication safety of psychiatric inpatients by the resolution of Drug-Related Problems (DRP). Both the therapy appropriateness measured with the Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI) and the number of unsolved DRP per patient were chosen as primary outcome measures.

Methods

Depending on their time of admission, 269 psychiatric patients that were admitted to a psychiatric university hospital were allocated in control (09/2012-03/2013) or intervention group (05/2013-12/2013). In both groups, DRP were identified by comprehensive medication reviews by clinical pharmacists at admission, during the hospital stay, and at discharge. In the intervention group, recommendations for identified DRP were compiled by the pharmacists and discussed with the therapeutic team. In the control group, recommendations were not provided except for serious or life threatening DRP. As a primary outcome measure, the changes in therapy appropriateness from admission to discharge as well as from admission to three months after discharge (follow-up) assessed with the MAI were compared between both groups. The second primary outcome was the number of unsolved DRP per patient after completing the study protocol. The DRP type, the relevance and the potential of drugs to cause DRP were also evaluated.

Results

The intervention led to a reduced MAI score by 1.4 points per patient (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.8–2.0) at discharge and 1.3 points (95% CI: 0.7–1.9) at follow-up compared with controls. The number of unsolved DRP in the intervention group was 1.8 (95% CI: 1.5–2.1) less than in control.

Conclusion

The pharmaceutical medication reviews with interdisciplinary discussion of identified DRP appears to be a worthy strategy to improve medication safety in psychiatry as reflected by less unsolved DRP per patient and an enhanced appropriateness of therapy. The promising results of this trial likely warrant further research that evaluates direct clinical outcomes and health-related costs.

Trial Registration

Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien (DRKS), DRKS00006358

Prevalence, nature and predictors of prescribing errors in mental health hospitals: a prospective multicentre study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence, nature and predictors of prescribing errors (PEs) in three mental health hospitals.

SETTING

Inpatient units in three National Health Service (NHS) mental health hospitals in the North West of England.

PARTICIPANTS

Trained clinical pharmacists prospectively recorded the number of PEs in newly written or omitted prescription items screened during their routine work on 10 data collection days. A multidisciplinary panel reviewed PE data using established methods to confirm (1) the presence of a PE, (2) the type of PE and (3) whether errors were clinically relevant and likely to cause harm.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Frequency, nature and predictors of PEs.

RESULTS

Of 4427 screened prescription items, 281 were found to have one or more PEs (error rate 6.3% (95% CI 5.6 to 7.1%)). Multivariate analysis revealed that specialty trainees (OR 1.23 (1.01 to 1.51)) and staff grade psychiatrists (OR 1.50 (1.05 to 2.13)) were more likely to make PEs when compared to foundation year (FY) one doctors, and that specialty trainees and consultant psychiatrists were twice as likely to make clinically relevant PEs (OR 2.61 (2.11 to 3.22) and 2.03 (1.66 to 2.50), respectively) compared to FY one staff. Prescription items screened during the prescription chart rewrite (OR 0.52 (0.33 to 0.82)) or at discharge (OR 0.87 (0.79 to 0.97)) were less likely to be associated with PEs than items assessed during inpatient stay, although they were more likely to be associated with clinically relevant PEs (OR 2.27 (1.72 to 2.99) and 4.23 (3.68 to 4.87), respectively). Prescription items screened at hospital admission were five times more likely (OR 5.39 (2.72 to 10.69)) to be associated with clinically relevant errors than those screened during patient stay.

CONCLUSIONS

PEs may be more common in mental health hospitals than previously reported and important targets to minimise these errors have been identified.

Medication reconciliation and prescribing reviews by pharmacy technicians in a geriatric ward

OBJECTIVE

Incomplete medication histories obtained on hospital admission are responsible for more than 25% of prescribing errors. This study aimed to evaluate whether pharmacy technicians can assist hospital physicians' in obtaining medication histories by performing medication reconciliation and prescribing reviews. A secondary aim was to evaluate whether the interventions made by pharmacy technicians could reduce the time spent by the nurses on administration of medications to the patients.

METHODS

This observational study was conducted over a 7 week period in the geriatric ward at Odense University Hospital, Denmark. Two pharmacy technicians conducted medication reconciliation and prescribing reviews at the time of patients' admission to the ward. The reviews were conducted according to standard operating procedures developed by a clinical pharmacist and approved by the Head of the Geriatric Department.

FINDINGS

In total, 629 discrepancies were detected during the conducted medication reconciliations, in average 3 for each patient. About 45% of the prescribing discrepancies were accepted and corrected by the physicians. "Medication omission" was the most frequently detected discrepancy (46% of total). During the prescribing reviews, a total of 860 prescription errors were detected, approximately one per medication review. Almost all of the detected prescription errors were later accepted and/or corrected by the physicians. "Dosage and time interval errors" were the most frequently detected error (48% of total). The time used by nurses for administration of medicines was reduced in the study period.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that pharmacy technicians can contribute to a substantial reduction in medication discrepancies in acutely admitted patients by performing medication reconciliation and focused medication reviews. Further randomized, controlled studies including a larger number of patients are required to elucidate whether these observations are of significance and of importance for securing patient safety.