Pharmacist-led interventions to reduce unplanned admissions for older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Pharmacist interventions in Asian healthcare environments for older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis on hospitalization, mortality, and quality of life

BACKGROUND

Pharmaceutical interventions play a key role in the care of older people experiencing polypharmacy. Despite the rapid increase in the aging population in Asia, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effectiveness of pharmacist interventions on older adult's healthcare. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effects of pharmacist interventions in Asian health care environments on hospitalization, mortality, and quality of life (QoL) among older people in Asia.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted across 5 databases, encompassing studies published from inception through June 2023. Only studies involving pharmacist interventions for people aged 65 years or older, residing in Asian countries, were considered. Studies without evidence of pharmacist involvement or conducted outside of Asia were excluded. Data extraction was performed by two reviewers, one reviewer (I.K.) performed the initial extraction, and another reviewer (G.R.) verified the extracted data. Forest plots were generated using a random effects model to obtain risk ratios or pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs).

RESULTS

A total of 170 articles underwent thorough review, and ultimately, ten studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the meta-analyses. These studies encompassed diverse healthcare settings such as outpatient, inpatient, and nursing homes, with sample sizes ranging from 32 to 306 older people. Pharmacist interventions were found to significantly reduce hospitalization rates (n = 5, risk ratio = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.41-0.81) and mortality rates (n = 4, risk ratio = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.37-0.88) among older people. The analysis revealed less significant improvement in QoL in these patients than in those receiving usual care (n = 6, SMD = 0.36, P = 0.057).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the crucial role of pharmacists within healthcare teams in Asian countries. Pharmacist interventions have an impact on reducing hospitalization and mortality rates among the elderly people, underscoring the importance of optimizing patient outcomes in Asia.

Pharmacist intervention to improve adherence to medication among heart failure patients at North East Ethiopia hospital

Heart failure (HF) is a major and growing medical problem and its management is still challenging due to the coexistence of complications, co-morbidity, and medication non-adherence. HF patients who are adherent to their medication have fewer HF exacerbations, improved survival, and lower healthcare expenditure. Adherence to HF medication plays a pivotal role in attaining maximal therapeutic outcomes. The aim was to assess the medication adherence of heart failure patients at Debre Berhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (DBCSH). A pre-post interventional study was undertaken from July 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022, at the medical referral clinic of DBCSH. The educational interventions were provided for 6 months. Medication adherence was determined using the Morisky Green Levin Medication Adherence Scale (MGLS). The data was entered into Epidata version 4.2.0 and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 statistical software. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were performed. The strength of the association between predictor variables and outcome variables was determined using a 95% confidence interval and adjusted odd ratio. In the pre-intervention phase, 54.6% of patients had medium medication adherence, while in the post-intervention phase, 36.4% of patients had high medication adherence and 61.9% of patients had medium medication adherence. Following the intervention, medication cost (120, 50%), inadequate availability of drugs (75, 31%), and forgetfulness (30, 13%) were the main reasons for medication non-adherence. The presence of co-morbidity and the number of co-morbidity (p < .05) were significantly associated with the occurrence of decreased medication adherence in the pre-intervention phase. Interventions by pharmacists to educate HF patients about the nature of their disease and providing brochures to increase awareness of their medications have been shown to improve medication adherence.

Clinical and economic impact of partnered pharmacist medication charting in the emergency department

Introduction: Partnered pharmacist medication charting (PPMC), a process redesign hypothesised to improve medication safety and interdisciplinary collaboration, was trialed in a tertiary hospital's emergency department (ED). Objective: To evaluate the health-related impact and economic benefit of PPMC. Methods: A pragmatic, controlled study compared PPMC to usual care in the ED. PPMC included a pharmacist-documented best-possible medication history (BPMH), followed by a clinical conversation between a pharmacist and a medical officer to jointly develop a treatment plan and chart medications. Usual care included medical officer-led traditional medication charting in the ED, without a pharmacist-obtained BPMH or clinical conversation. Outcome measures, assessed after propensity score matching, were length of hospital or ED stay, relative stay index (RSI), in-hospital mortality, 30-day hospital readmissions or ED revisits, and cost. Results: A total of 309 matched pairs were analysed. The median RSI was reduced by 15.4% with PPMC (p = 0.029). There were no significant differences between the groups in the median length of ED stay (8 vs. 10 h, p = 0.52), in-hospital mortality (1.3% vs. 1.3%, p > 0.99), 30-day readmission rates (21% vs. 17%; p = 0.35) and 30-day ED revisit rates (21% vs. 19%; p = 0.68). The hospital spent approximately $138.4 for the cost of PPMC care per patient to avert at least one medication error bearing high/extreme risk. PPMC saved approximately $1269 on the average cost of each admission. Conclusion: Implementing the ED-based PPMC model was associated with a significantly reduced RSI and admission costs, but did not affect clinical outcomes, noting that there was an additional focus on medication reconciliation in the usual care group relative to current practice at our study site.

Insights into participation in ward rounds in hospitals: A survey of clinical pharmacists' perceptions

Introduction

Clinical pharmacists' participation in ward rounds (WRs) has been a great chance to contribute to team-based care in the hospital setting and significantly improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Hence, the objective of this investigation was to explore the perceptions of clinical pharmacists in Yemen regarding their participation in WRs and the factors influencing their involvement.

Methods

An online survey of Yemeni clinical pharmacists was conducted and lasted for two months. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the survey responses.

Results

a total of 120 participants were involved. About 3 out of 10 pharmacists had not previously participated in WRs, with only 30% having always or most of the time participated in word rounds alongside physicians. The results showed a positive perception of WR participation, with a median and IQR of 5(4-5). However, a lack of awareness of WR roles and the time-consuming nature of participation were the reasons for non-involvement.

Conclusion

The study highlights the positive perceptions of Yemeni clinical pharmacists towards ward rounds, but emphasises the need to address awareness and time constraints. Emphasising patient-centered care and longer internship durations can improve clinical pharmacist involvement. Future research should focus on optimising clinical pharmacist participation for better patient outcomes and care quality.

Polypharmacy and Optimization of Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy in Heart Failure: The GUIDE-IT Trial

BACKGROUND

Polypharmacy is common among patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, its impact on the use of optimal guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) is not well established.

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to evaluate the association between polypharmacy and odds of receiving optimal GDMT over time among patients with HFrEF.

METHODS

The authors conducted a post hoc analysis of the GUIDE-IT (Guiding Evidence-Based Therapy Using Biomarker Intensified Treatment) trial. Polypharmacy was defined as receiving ≥5 medications (excluding HFrEF GDMT) at baseline. The outcome of interest was optimal triple therapy GDMT (concurrent administration of a renin-angiotensin-aldosterone blocker and beta-blocker at 50% of the target dose and a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist at any dose) achieved over the 12-month follow-up. Multivariable adjusted mixed-effect logistic regression models with multiplicative interaction terms (time × polypharmacy) were constructed to evaluate how polypharmacy at baseline modified the odds of achieving optimal GDMT on follow-up.

RESULTS

The study included 891 participants with HFrEF. The median number of non-GDMT medications at baseline was 4 (IQR: 3-6), with 414 (46.5%) prescribed ≥5 and identified as being on polypharmacy. The proportion of participants who achieved optimal GDMT at the end of the 12-month follow-up was lower with vs without polypharmacy at baseline (15% vs 19%, respectively). In adjusted mixed models, the odds of achieving optimal GDMT over time were modified by baseline polypharmacy status (P for interaction < 0.001). Patients without polypharmacy at baseline had increased odds of achieving GDMT (OR: 1.16 [95% CI: 1.12-1.21] per 1-month increase; P < 0.001) but not patients with polypharmacy (OR: 1.01 [95% CI: 0.96-1.06)] per 1-month increase).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with HFrEF who are on non-GDMT polypharmacy have lower odds of achieving optimal GDMT on follow-up.

Adverse drug events in Chinese elder inpatients: a retrospective review for evaluating the efficiency of the Global Trigger Tool

Background

Elderly patients frequently experience a high incidence of adverse drug events (ADEs) due to the coexistence of multiple diseases, the combination of various medications, poor medication compliance, and other factors. Global Trigger Tool (GTT) is a new method for identifying ADEs, introducing the concept of a trigger, that is, clues including abnormal laboratory values, reversal drugs, and clinical symptoms that may suggest ADEs, and specifically locating information related to ADEs in the medical record to identify ADEs. The aim of this study was to establish a GTT-based trigger tool for adverse medication events in elderly patients and to investigate the risk variables associated with such events.

Methods

The triggers were identified by reviewing the frequency of ADEs in elderly patients in Sichuan, China, retrieving relevant literature, and consulting experts. A retrospective analysis was carried out to identify adverse medication occurrences among 480 elderly inpatients in Sichuan People's Hospital.

Results

A total of 56 ADEs were detected in 51 patients (10.62%), 13.04 per 1,000 patient days, and 11.67 per 100 admissions. The overall positive predictive value (PPV) of the triggers was 23.84, and 94.64% of ADEs caused temporary injury. Gastrointestinal system injury (27.87%) and metabolic and nutritional disorders (24.53%) were the primary organ-systems affected by ADEs. The majority of ADEs were caused by drugs used to treat cardiovascular diseases. 71.43% of ADE occurred within 2 days of administration and the risk factor analysis of ADE revealed that the number of medicines had a significant correlation.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated GTT's value as a tool for ADEs detection in elderly inpatients in China. It enhances the level of medication management and comprehensively reflects the situation of ADE of the elderly.

Cognitive and functional trajectories in geriatric outpatients after a pharmacologic multidisciplinary intervention: A study protocol

BACKGROUND

Polypharmacy is a common condition among older adults and is associated with adverse drug reactions and health outcomes, including falls, functional and cognitive impairment, and frailty.

METHODS

A prospective observational study will be conducted on older adults with polypharmacy. The aim is to assess the impact of a specialized outpatient clinic focused on pharmacotherapy optimization recently integrated into daily clinical practice in a Spanish public tertiary teaching hospital on patients' functional and cognitive abilities. Patients who attend a first consultation and meet inclusion criteria (≥75 years old, have a life expectancy≥3 months, and polypharmacy (≥5 prescribed medications) will be invited to participate in the study, until reach a calculated sample size of 104 participants. Patients will be excluded if they are enrolled in a clinical trial related to medication or in the event of a no-show or cancellation of the appointment at the first visit. Participants will receive usual care: a first consultation including multidisciplinary pharmacological optimization in the context of a CGA and subsequent face-to-face and/or telephone follow-up (∼3 and ∼6 months). The primary endpoint will be the functional (Barthel index) and cognitive change in capacities (IPCR - Índice de Incapacidad psíquica de la Cruz Roja). Secondary endpoints include medication changes, changes in patients' quality of life, rate of falling, and use of healthcare resources.

DISCUSSION

We expect that the close collaboration between professionals from different disciplines working together will be an effective strategy to improve the functional and cognitive abilities of older adults.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05408598 (March 1, 2022).

Pharmacists' chronic disease management in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Effect on health services utilization

BACKGROUND: There is limited real-world evidence on evaluation of chronic disease management initiatives provided by pharmacists to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in COPD-related health care resource utilization between patients with COPD who had pharmacist-provided chronic disease management (comprehensive annual care plan [CACP]) vs those who did not have CACP. METHODS: Patients with COPD who received a CACP in Alberta between 2012 and 2015 were identified within the Alberta Health administrative data. Each of these patients were matched with 2 control patients with COPD based on age, sex, provider, date of service, and qualifying comorbidities. Controlled interrupted time series analysis was used to evaluate changes in COPD-specific hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, physician visits, and claims for pulmonary function test. Immediate and temporal changes were calculated for the difference in outcomes 1 year before and 1 year after receiving the CACP for the intervention group and matched controls. RESULTS: Eligible patients (N = 74,365), of whom 28,795 (38.7%) had received CACPs, were matched to a total of 45,570 controls. In 1 year after the CACPs implementation, the number of COPD-related hospitalization visits decreased by 174 (95% CI = -270.8 to -76.5) per 10,000 patients per month, COPD-related ED visits decreased by 123 (95% CI = -294.9 to 49.6) per 10,000 per month, general practitioner visits decreased by 153.9 per 10,000 per month (95% CI = -293.3 to -14.5), and pulmonary function test claims decreased by 19.5 per 10,000 per month (95% CI = -70.1 to 31.2) when compared with the matched controls. However, significant difference between the 2 groups was found for COPD-related hospitalizations only, which was not confirmed by the sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with COPD who were provided with care plans by their community pharmacists, there was no significant decrease in COPD-related hospitalizations or ED visits over 1 year compared with the matched controls who did not have a pharmacist-provided care plan. Physician visits and pulmonary function tests did not change significantly for those who had CACP compared with those who did not. There is a need to further understand how care plans can better impact other outcomes that are important in COPD management. DISCLOSURES: This study was supported by a grant from the M.S.I. Foundation (Grant#895) based in Alberta, Canada. Dr Bhutani has consulted for Astra Zeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Boehringer Ingelheim, Valeo, Covis, and Sanofi. The authors declare no other relevant conflicts of interest or financial relationships. This study is based on data provided by Alberta Health. The interpretation and conclusions of the results are those of the researchers and do not necessarily represent the views of the government of Alberta nor the funder (M.S.I. Foundation). All authors meet criteria for authorship as recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

Food insecurity, mental health and in-hospital mortality following the COVID-19 pandemic in a socially deprived UK coastal town

BACKGROUND

Public health interventions are essential to prevent a long tail of costly, avoidable and worsening ill health in coastal communities following the COVID-19 pandemic, yet no research exists to guide policy and practice as to which groups within coastal communities are vulnerable and most in need of such interventions. Within this aim, we explore engrained and emerging vulnerabilities of food insecurity, health and well-being for different demographic groups within the deprived coastal community of Fleetwood, Lancashire, UK, before and after the pandemic.

METHODS

Routinely collected data of free school meal eligibility, community mental health referrals and hospital admissions between 28 March 2016 and 31 December 2021 were aggregated by locality and deprivation within Fleetwood. Temporal autoregressive models, generalised linear mixed models and survival analyses were employed to compare trends and associations in food insecurity, health and well-being indicators against deprivation indices, demographics, comorbidities (including COVID-19), the COVID-19 pandemic period and locality.

RESULTS

Areas with better housing and income, but higher health and disability deprivation, showed increased levels of free school meal eligibility following the pandemic. Mental health was insensitive to the first 14 months of pandemic yet is worsened by unemployment deprivation and cardiovascular and respiratory comorbidities, with a greater predisposition to poor mental health in adolescents and young adults. After accounting for the effect of COVID-19, hospital mortality risk increased with demographic influences in fitting with the typology of coastal communities having an older population, struggling healthcare and a greater prevalence of comorbidities.

CONCLUSIONS

Public health managers and policy makers seeking to prevent worsening health and well-being within coastal communities following the pandemic should focus on broader-scale patterns reflecting entrenched poor health typical of coastal communities, and emerging food insecurity within specific demographic and deprivation groups at finer scales.

Impact of interdisciplinary case management and pharmacist transitions of care interventions on 30-day readmissions

BACKGROUND

Pharmacists and case managers positively impact patient health outcomes during the transition of care from the hospital to the home. However, the combination of both specialties completing post-discharge telephone calls has not been clearly studied.

OBJECTIVES

The primary outcome of this research was to identify the combined impact of post-discharge telephone calls from both pharmacists and case managers on all cause 30-day hospital readmissions when compared to a call from either group alone. Secondary outcomes included 30-day emergency department visits and types of medication therapy problems identified by pharmacists during the call.

METHODS

This retrospective study included high risk patients eligible for a post-discharge telephone call from both pharmacy and case management from January 1, 2021 to September 1, 2021. Patients were excluded if they did not complete a telephone call from either group or were deceased within 30 days of discharge. Results were analyzed using descriptive and chi square analyses.

RESULTS

Eighty-five hospital discharges were included in the study, with 24 patients receiving post-discharge telephone calls from both case management and pharmacy, and 61 patients receiving a call from either group alone. Thirty-day all cause readmissions occurred in 13% of the combined group versus 26% in either group alone (p = 0.171). Thirty-day all cause emergency department visits were 8% in the combined group versus 11% in either group alone (p = 0.617). Of the 38 post-discharge encounters completed by pharmacists, 120 medication therapy problems were identified, averaging over 3 medication issues per patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Collaboration amongst pharmacists and case managers has the potential to positively impact patient outcomes upon discharge from the hospital. Health systems should work to integrate transitions of care services performed across disciplines.

Validation of quality indicators for evaluating geriatric pharmacotherapy services in primary care: a mixed methods study

OBJECTIVE

To assess measurement properties of 121 face and content validated quality indicators (QIs) for medication safety in geriatric pharmacotherapy in primary care.

DESIGN

A mixed methods study: a 6-month observational study in primary care (July-December 2020) and in-depth semistructured online interviews with participants (February-March 2021).

SETTING

Sixty community pharmacies in Japan.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients aged 75 years and older who were regularly taking six or more prescription medicines for ˃4 weeks were eligible. The observational study included 457 patients. The interviews were undertaken with 26 community pharmacists, including pharmacy managers and owners.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Five measurement properties of QIs (applicability, improvement potential, acceptability, implementation issues and sensitivity to change) were evaluated. A web application was developed for data reporting and data visualisation.

RESULTS

This study showed that 53 QIs met the measurement properties of applicability, improvement potential, acceptability and implementation issues. Of 53 QIs, 17 also had a high sensitivity to change. Interviews identified eight themes (indicator characteristics, web application, policy, patient, time, competence, pharmacy administration and collaboration) in relation to the consequence of implementation of QIs.

CONCLUSIONS

A set of 121 QIs for geriatric pharmacotherapy was field tested for their five measurement properties. This QI set can be used to identify patients who may benefit from clinician reviews of their medicines. These QIs may be applied at different levels within the healthcare system: patient, pharmacy, regional and national levels. Further mechanisms to automatically collect and report data should be established to facilitate sustainable quality improvement initiatives.

The impact of including a medication review in an integrated care pathway: A pilot study

AIM

The objective of the present study was to measure the impact of the intervention of combining a medication review with an integrated care approach on potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and hospital readmissions in frail older adults.

METHODS

A cohort of hospitalized older adults enrolled in the French PAERPA integrated care pathway (the exposed cohort) was matched retrospectively with hospitalized older adults not enrolled in the pathway (unexposed cohort) between January 1st, 2015, and December 31st, 2018. The study was an analysis of French health administrative database. The inclusion criteria for exposed patients were admission to an acute care department in a general hospital, age 75 years or over, at least three comorbidities or the prescription of diuretics or oral anticoagulants, discharge alive and performance of a medication review.

RESULTS

For the study population (n = 582), the mean ± standard deviation age was 82.9 ± 4.9 years, and 380 (65.3%) were women. Depending on the definition used, the overall median number of PIMs ranged from 2 [0;3] on admission to 3 [0;3] at discharge. The intervention was not associated with a significant difference in the mean number of PIMs. Patients in the exposed cohort were half as likely to be readmitted to hospital within 30 days of discharge relative to patients in the unexposed cohort.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that a medication review was not associated with a decrease in the mean number of PIMs. However, an integrated care intervention including the medication review was associated with a reduction in the number of hospital readmissions at 30 days.

Implementation of a medicine management plan (MMP) to reduce medication-related harm (MRH) in older people post-hospital discharge: a randomised controlled trial

Background

Medication-related harm (MRH) is an escalating global challenge especially among older adults. The period following hospital discharge carries high-risk for MRH due to medication discrepancies, limited patient/carer education and support, and poor communication between hospital and community professionals. Discharge Medical Service (DMS), a newly introduced NHS scheme, aims to reduce post-discharge MRH through an electronic communication between hospital and community pharmacists. Our study team has previously developed a risk-prediction tool (RPT) for MRH in the 8-weeks period post discharge from a UK hospital cohort of 1280 patients. In this study, we aim to find out if a Medicines Management Plan (MMP) linked to the DMS is more effective than the DMS alone in reducing rates of MRH.

Method

Using a randomized control trial design, 682 older adults ≥ 65 years due to be discharged from hospital will be recruited from 4 sites. Participants will be randomized to an intervention arm (individualised medicine management plan (MMP) plus DMS) or a control arm (DMS only) using a 1:1 ratio stratification. Baseline data will include patients’ clinical and social demographics, and admission and discharge medications. At 8-weeks post-discharge, a telephone interview and review of GP records by the study pharmacist will verify MRH in both arms. An economic and process evaluation will assess the cost and acceptability of the study methods.

Data analysis

Univariate analysis will be done for baseline variables comparing the intervention and control arms. A multivariate logistic regression will be done incorporating these variables. Economic evaluation will compare the cost-of-service use among the study arms and modelled to provide national estimates. Qualitative data from focus-group interviews will explore practitioners’ understanding, and acceptance of the MMP, DMS and the RPT.

Conclusion

This study will inform the use of an objective, validated RPT for MRH among older adults after hospital discharge, and provide a clinical, economic, and service evaluation of a specific medicines management plan alongside the DMS in the National Health Service (UK).

Interventions to Prevent Potentially Avoidable Hospitalizations: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review

Background

The demand for healthcare is increasing due to an aging population, more people living with chronic diseases and medical comorbidities. To manage this demand, political institutions call for action to reduce the potentially avoidable hospitalizations. Quantitative and qualitative aspects should be considered to understand how and why interventions work, and for whom. The aim of this mixed methods systematic review was to identify and synthesize evidence on interventions targeting avoidable hospitalizations from the perspectives of the citizens and the healthcare professionals to improve the preventive healthcare services.

Methods and Results

A mixed methods systematic review was conducted following the JBI methodology using a convergent integrated approach to synthesis. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO, reg. no. CRD42020134652. A systematic search was undertaken in six databases. In total, 45 articles matched the eligibility criteria, and 25 of these (five qualitative studies and 20 quantitative studies) were found to be of acceptable methodological quality. From the 25 articles, 99 meaning units were extracted. The combined evidence revealed four categories, which were synthesized into two integrated findings: (1) Addressing individual needs through care continuity and coordination prevent avoidable hospitalizations and (2) Recognizing preventive care as an integrated part of the healthcare work to prevent avoidable hospitalizations.

Conclusions

The syntheses highlight the importance of addressing individual needs through continuous and coordinated care practices to prevent avoidable hospitalizations. Engaging healthcare professionals in preventive care work and considering implications for patient safety may be given higher priority. Healthcare administers and policy-makers could support the delivery of preventive care through targeted educational material aimed at healthcare professionals and simple web-based IT platforms for information-sharing across healthcare settings. The findings are an important resource in the development and implementation of interventions to prevent avoidable hospitalizations, and may serve to improve patient safety and quality in preventive healthcare services.

Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=134652, identifier: CRD42020134652.

Development and consensus testing of quality indicators for geriatric pharmacotherapy in primary care using a modified Delphi study

Background Polypharmacy is associated with an increased risk of adverse drug events in older people. Although national guidance on geriatric pharmacotherapy exists in Japan, tools to routinely monitor the quality of care provided by community pharmacists are lacking. Aim To develop a set of quality indicators (QIs) to measure the quality of care provided by community pharmacists in improving geriatric pharmacotherapy in primary care in Japan, using a modified Delphi study. Method The development of QIs for the Japanese community pharmacy context followed a two-step process: national guidance review and consensus testing using a modified Delphi study. The latter involved two rounds of rating with a face-to-face meeting between the rounds. Ten experts in geriatric pharmacotherapy in primary care were recruited for the panel discussion. QIs were mapped to three key taxonomies and frameworks: the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system, problems and causes of drug-related problems (DRPs) taxonomy and Donabedian's framework. Results A total of 134 QIs for geriatric pharmacotherapy were developed. This QI set included 111 medicine specific indicators, covering medicines in 243 third-level ATC classifications. QIs were classified into the problem of treatment safety (80%) and causes of drug selection (38%) based on validated classification for DRPs. In Donabedian's framework, most QIs (82%) were process indicators. There were no structure indicators. Conclusion A set of 134 QIs for geriatric pharmacotherapy was rigorously developed. Measurement properties of these QIs will be evaluated for feasibility, applicability, room for improvement, sensitivity to change, predictive validity, acceptability and implementation issues in a subsequent study.

Pharmacist-Led Intervention on the Inappropriate Use of Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis Pharmacotherapy in Intensive Care Units: A Systematic review

Background: Pharmacist's direct intervention or participation in multidisciplinary management teams can improve the clinical outcome and quality of life of patients. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of pharmacist-led interventions on the inappropriate use of stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) pharmacotherapy in intensive care units (ICUs). Methods: A systematic review was performed for relevant studies using searched PubMed, EMBASE (Ovid), the Cochrane Library, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and four Chinese databases from the establishment of databases to 12 March 2020. We conducted a descriptive analysis of participants, the intervention content and delivery, and the effects on inappropriate medication rates. Results: From 529 records, 8 studies from 9 articles were included in the systematic review. The time of appropriateness judgment and the criteria of "appropriate" varied from included studies. Pharmacist interventions mainly included clarifying indications for SUP pharmacotherapy, education and awareness campaign, reviewed patients on SUP pharmacotherapy during rounds, and adjustments of drug use. Five (62.5%) studies found a significant intervention effect during hospitalization, while 2 (25%) studies at ICU transfer and 2 (25%) studies at hospital discharge. 4 (50%) studies identified the complications related to SUP pharmacotherapy and found no significant difference. 4 (50%) studies declared the pharmacist-led interventions were associated with cost savings. Conclusion: Pharmacist-led intervention is associated with a decrease in inappropriate use of SUP pharmacotherapy during hospitalization, at ICU transferred and hospital discharged, and a lot of medical cost savings. Further research is needed to determine whether pharmacist-led intervention is cost-effective.

Impact of pharmacist-led interventions on patient care in ambulatory care settings: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

In an era of rapid evolution in healthcare delivery, major changes have occurred within the profession of pharmacist. Because the impact of pharmacist-led interventions in the hospital setting has been well-studied and showed mixed findings on drug-related readmissions, all-cause emergency department visits and mortality, this systematic review focused on services provided by pharmacists in the community or ambulatory care setting without being limited to a specific intervention or outcome.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of pharmacist-led interventions, categorised into clinical medication review (CMR), adherence review (AR), and prescription review (PR) on various aspects of patient care (clinical, behavioural, economic and humanistic outcomes in ambulatory care setting) and understand which particular intervention makes the greatest contribution.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Library for publications from 2000 onwards.

FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION

A total of 31 relevant publications corresponding to 27 controlled trials (CTs) and 4 observational studies were selected. CMR was the most studied pharmacist-led intervention (n = 19, 61.29%), followed by AR (n = 6, 19.3%). CMR demonstrated a favourable effect on different clinical outcomes mainly the management of drug-related problems and adverse events, and it also contributed the most to the reduction of healthcare costs. AR was the most effective intervention to improve patient's adherence. CMR alone or combined with AR both raised equally the patient's satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that CMR can play a major role in the management of drug-related problems and economic issues. AR can significantly improve patient compliance. Larger, standardised and rigorously designed intervention studies are needed to help decision-makers to select appropriate interventions leading to meaningful improvements in patient care.

Clinical factors associated with increased length of stay and readmission in patients with medication-related hospital admissions: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Adverse drug events (ADEs) remain a key contributor to hospitalisations, resulting in long hospital stays and readmissions. Information pertaining to the specific medications and clinical factors associated with these outcomes is limited. Hence, a better understanding of these factors and their relationship to ADEs is required.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate medications involved, clinical manifestations of ADE-related hospitalisations, and their association with length of stay and readmission.

METHODS

A retrospective medical record review of patients admitted to a major, tertiary referral hospital in NSW, Australia, from January 2019 to August 2020 was conducted. ADEs were identified using Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Group (AR-DRG) codes: X40, X61, X62 and X64. Medications were classified per the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system and clinical symptoms were classified per the International Classification of Disease (ICD) 9-CM. Logistic regression was performed to assess the relationship between medication and presentation classes with length of stay (≥2 days vs <2 days) and readmission.

RESULTS

There were 125 patients who met inclusion criteria (median age = 64 [interquartile range, 45-75] years; 53.6% male). Anti-thrombotic agents, opioids, antidepressants, antipsychotics, insulins and NSAIDs were the most implicated pharmacological classes. Neurological medications and falls were associated with a length of stay ≥2 days (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48-10.33 and aOR 3.24, 95% CI 1.05-10.06, respectively). Neurological medications and neurological and cognitive disorders were associated with an increased likelihood of 90-day readmission (aOR 2.63, 95% CI 1.05-6.57 and aOR 3.20, 95% CI 1.17-8.75, respectively).

CONCLUSION

This study identified neurological medications as high-risk for increased length of stay and readmission in those hospitalised due to ADEs. This highlights the need for judicious prescribing and monitoring of these medications.

[Prescription appropriateness in elderly patients with polypharmacy in primary care: Cluster-randomized controlled trial PHARM-PC]

Objetivos

Evaluar la efectividad de la revisión sistemática de medicación realizada por farmacéutico sobre medicaciones potencialmente inapropiadas (MPI), resultados en salud y costes.

Diseño

Ensayo clínico prospectivo, abierto, controlado y aleatorizado por clústeres.

Emplazamiento

Seis centros de atención primaria de las Islas Baleares.

Participantes

Se incluyeron 42 clústeres (21 por grupo), y 549 pacientes de ≥ 65 años y ≥ 5 medicamentos crónicos, de los cuales 277 se asignaron al Grupo Intervención (GI) y 272 al Grupo Control (GC). Se excluyeron pacientes: institucionalizados, desplazados, atendidos habitualmente por la sanidad privada, o en atención domiciliaria.

Intervención

Detección de MPI por parte del farmacéutico mediante combinación de métodos explícitos e implícitos y comunicación de las alternativas terapéuticas más apropiadas al médico prescriptor.

Mediciones

Se evaluaron la proporción de pacientes con MPI y número medio de MPI/paciente (variables principales); así como morbilidad, mortalidad, y costes (variables secundarias).

Análisis estadístico

Siguiendo el principio de intención de tratar, se compararon las variables cuantitativas y cualitativas mediante las pruebas t Student y X², respectivamente. Los resultados se expresaron como diferencia de proporciones para variables cualitativas y diferencia de medias para cuantitativas, con los correspondientes intervalos de confianza 95% (IC 95%).

Resultados

Después de la intervención, la proporción de pacientes con MPI disminuyó un 13,7% (IC 95%: 9,3; 18,2) más en GI que GC. El número medio de MPI/paciente y coste medio de MPI/paciente disminuyeron en 0,43 (IC 95%: 0,32; 0,54) y 72,11€ (IC 95%: 26,15; 118,06) más en GI que GC, respectivamente. Sin embargo, no se observaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en morbilidad, mortalidad ni en costes de episodios asistenciales.

Conclusiones

La detección de MPI y emisión de recomendaciones por el farmacéutico pudo contribuir a reducir significativamente MPI y gasto en medicamentos, pero sin alcanzar diferencias estadísticamente significativas en morbimortalidad ni costes de episodios asistenciales.

A systematic review of general practice-based pharmacists' services to optimize medicines management in older people with multimorbidity and polypharmacy

BACKGROUND

Few studies have evaluated roles of general practice-based pharmacists (PBPs), particularly in optimizing medicines management for older people with both multimorbidity and polypharmacy.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the types and effectiveness of services provided by PBPs, either alone or in collaboration with other primary health care professionals, that sought to optimize medicines management for older people with multimorbidity and polypharmacy.

METHODS

Eight electronic databases and three trial registries were searched for studies published in English until April 2020. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials and controlled before-and-after studies of services delivered by PBPs in primary care/general practice, for patients aged ≥65 years with both multimorbidity and polypharmacy that focused on a number of outcomes. The Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 1) and the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies-of Interventions (ROBINS-I) assessment tool were used for quality assessment. A narrative synthesis was conducted due to study heterogeneity.

RESULTS

Seven studies met inclusion criteria. All included studies employed PBP-led medication review accompanied by recommendations agreed and implemented by general practitioners. Other patient-level and practice-level interventions were described in one study. The limited available evidence suggested that PBPs, in collaboration with other practice team members, had mixed effects on outcomes focused on optimizing medicines management for older people. Most included studies were of poor quality and data to estimate the risk of bias were often missing.

CONCLUSION

Future high-quality studies are needed to test the effects of PBP interventions on a well-defined range of medicines management-related outcomes.

An inpatient multidisciplinary educational approach to reduce 30-day heart failure readmissions

Background

Despite dramatic improvements in the management of heart failure (HF), hospital readmissions due to HF exacerbation remain high. To improve quality of care, many hospitals have developed interventions to reduce HF readmission rates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of an inpatient multidisciplinary educational approach utilizing pharmacist to reduce 30-day HF readmissions.

Methods

Retrospective observational study conducted at a tertiary-hospital in Tucson-Arizona, USA. It included adult patients admitted with a documented diagnosis of HF and excluded patients discharged to hospice. Patents were divided into two groups: intervention and control group. Intervention components included: (1) pharmacy student counseling; (2) HF education provided jointly by a pharmacist and a nurse as a group class to patients and caregivers and/or one-on-one education with a nurse; and (3) follow-up phone calls 1–3 days post-discharge reinforcing HF education. The main outcome was the rate of hospital readmission within 30 days post HF discharge.

Results

A total of 221 patients were identified in the intervention and 183 in the control groups. Of the patients in the intervention group, 44.8% received pharmacy student counseling, 47.1% received HF education, 25.3% were contacted 1–3 days post-discharge; and 5% received all intervention components. The difference in the primary outcome was not statistically different, with 3.8% readmission rate in the control group compared to 4.5% in the intervention group (p = 0.73). It is worth to notice that none of the 11 patients who received all components of the interventions were readmitted. Univariate analysis demonstrated a significant association between pharmacy student counseling and 30-day HF readmissions (p = 0.03); however, no difference was observed after adjusting for all variables.

Conclusion

The readmission rate in both groups was below national rate, and neither the intervention nor components were associated with a significant reduction in the primary outcome. Another study is needed to assess the rate of HF readmission in patients receiving all components of the multidisciplinary interventions.

Association of pharmacist counseling with adherence, 30-day readmission, and mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials

OBJECTIVE(S)

To determine the association of pharmacist medication counseling with medication adherence, 30-day hospital readmission, and mortality.

METHODS

The initial search identified 21,590 citations. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 62 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (49 for the meta-analysis) were included in the final analysis. Data were pooled using a random-effects model.

RESULTS

The participants in most of the studies were older patients with chronic diseases who, therefore, were taking many drugs. The overall methodologic quality of evidence ranged from low to very low. Pharmacist medication counseling versus no such counseling was associated with a statistically significant 30% increase in relative risk (RR) for medication adherence, a 24% RR reduction in 30-day hospital readmission (number needed to treat = 4.2), and a 30% RR reduction in emergency department visits. RR reductions for primary care visits and mortality were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

The evidence supports pharmacist medication counseling to increase medication adherence and to reduce 30-day hospital readmissions and emergency department visits. However, higher-quality RCT studies are needed to confirm or refute these findings.

Medication review interventions to reduce hospital readmissions in older people

Objective

To assess the efficacy of medication review as an isolated intervention and with several co‐interventions for preventing hospital readmissions in older adults.

Methods

Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and CINAHL were searched for randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of medication review interventions with or without co‐interventions to prevent hospital readmissions in hospitalized or recently discharged adults aged ≥65, until September 13, 2019. Included outcomes were “at least one all‐cause hospital readmission within 30 days and at any time after discharge from the index admission.”

Results

Twenty‐five studies met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 11 studies (7,318 participants) contributed to the network meta‐analysis (NMA) on all‐cause hospital readmission within 30 days. Medication review in combination with (a) medication reconciliation and patient education (risk ratio (RR) 0.45; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.26–0.80) and (b) medication reconciliation, patient education, professional education and transitional care (RR 0.64; 95% CI 0.49–0.84) were associated with a lower risk of all‐cause hospital readmission compared to usual care. Medication review in isolation did not significantly influence hospital readmissions (RR 1.06; 95% CI 0.45–2.51). The NMA on all‐cause hospital readmission at any time included 24 studies (11,677 participants). Medication review combined with medication reconciliation, patient education, professional education and transitional care resulted in a reduction of hospital readmissions (RR 0.82; 95% CI 0.74–0.91) compared to usual care. The quality of the studies included in this systematic review raised some concerns, mainly regarding allocation concealment, blinding and contamination.

Conclusion

Medication review in combination with medication reconciliation, patient education, professional education and transitional care, was associated with a lower risk of hospital readmissions compared to usual care. An effect of medication review without co‐interventions was not demonstrated. Trials of higher quality are needed in this field.

The Prevalence and Characteristics of Psychotropic-Related Hospitalizations in Older People: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVES

To assess the prevalence and characteristics of psychotropic medication-related hospitalizations in older people.

DESIGN

Systematic review with meta-analysis.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Older adults (≥65 years of age) with psychotropic-related hospitalizations.

METHODS

A search of published literature was performed in Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus from 2010 to March 2020. Three authors independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts of relevant studies for relevance. Two authors independently extracted full text data, including characteristics, measures of causality, prevalence data, and performed quality assessment. A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate pooled prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of psychotropic-related hospitalizations using random effects models. Heterogeneity was explored using subgroup analyses.

RESULTS

Of 815 potentially relevant studies, 11 were included in the final analysis. Five studies were cross-sectional studies, 5 were cohort studies, and 1 was a case control study. The majority of studies were rated as good quality. Psychotropic medications contributed to 2.1% (95% CI 1.2%-3.3%) of total hospitalizations and 11.3% (95% CI 8.2%-14.8%) of adverse drug event-related hospitalizations. The main psychotropic medications attributable to hospitalizations were antidepressants, hypnotics, sedatives, and antipsychotics.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Psychotropic medications are a significant contributor to hospitalizations in older adults. The risk of hospitalization was greatest for those taking antidepressants, antipsychotics, hypnotics, and sedatives. Future studies should aim to address specific medication subgroups and implement uniform adverse drug event-related classification systems to improve comparability across studies.

Hospital Outpatient Visits Associated With Medication-Related Problems in Thailand: A Multicenter Prospective Observational Study

OBJECTIVES

The aims of the study were to investigate the prevalence of hospital visits associated with medication-related problems (MRPs, i.e., adverse drug events [ADEs], adverse drug reactions [ADRs], nonadherence [NA] to medication, and medication error) and to identify the medications involved in hospital visits associated with MRPs in outpatient departments (OPDs).

METHODS

A prospective observational study was carried out in OPD of 11 hospitals in the lower northern region of Thailand. Patients visiting OPDs were screened for suspected MRPs by clinical pharmacists using medical record review supplemented by patient interview. Three experts evaluated suspected MRPs using the following 3 criteria: causality, severity, and preventability.

RESULTS

Of the 3069 patients who visited the OPDs during the study period, 113 (3.7%) were deemed to have causal MRPs. Nearly half of the causal MRPs (n = 49, 43.4%) were preventable. The following 4 types of causal MRPs were identified: ADEs (n = 112, 3.7%), ADRs (n = 65, 2.1%), NA to medications (n = 48, 1.6%), and medication errors (n = 1, 0.03%). In nonelective patients (n = 764), 35 patients (4.6%) were judged to have causal MRPs. Of the nonelective patients who experienced causal MRPs, 25 (71.4%) were preventable. The medications commonly associated with ADEs and NA to medication were those targeting the cardiovascular system (especially enalapril, amlodipine, and hydrochlorothiazide), whereas the medications involving ADRs involved the cardiovascular and endocrine systems (especially, enalapril, amlodipine, and metformin).

CONCLUSIONS

Outpatient department visits associated with MRPs, particularly in nonelective patients, were preventable. Effective strategies are needed for reducing visits to hospital OPD associated with preventable MRPs.

Impact of pharmacist interventions during transition of care in older adults to reduce the use of healthcare services: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Current literature has shown increasing risk of error in transition of care between different healthcare settings, especially in the older population. Moreover, drug-related hospital readmission has been reported due to lack of appropriate communication. However, the literature is not clear about the impact of pharmacist interventions during transition of care of older adults on the reduction in use of healthcare services.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of the scoping review was to describe the impact of pharmacist interventions during transitions of care for older adults on the use of healthcare services.

METHODS

MEDLINE was searched for randomized controlled trials and controlled studies that analyzed pharmacist interventions during transition of care of older adults with regard to use of healthcare services. Four reviewers, grouped in pairs, independently screened all references published from 1990 to 2019 and extracted and analyzed the data. A pharmaceutical model of 8 pharmacist-led interventions was adapted from literature to compare the included studies.

RESULTS

There were 1527 publications screened, 17 of which met inclusion criteria. Pharmacist-led interventions decreased the use of healthcare services in 11 of these studies. The majority of studies were of very good or good quality based on Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Pharmacist were implicated at all times during the transition of care process (i.e. admission/during stay, discharge and post-discharge) in 4 of the effective studies, whereas none did in the not effective studies. More interventions were accomplished by pharmacists in studies with positive outcomes.

CONCLUSION

By diversifying their interventions at different moments throughout transition of care, pharmacists can reduce the use of healthcare services for older adults during transition of care. This scoping review also shows the need to better understand key components of post-discharge interventions and to have a dynamic pharmaceutical model accepted by the scientific community.

In-hospital interventions for reducing readmissions to acute care for adults aged 65 and over: An umbrella review

PURPOSE

The aim of this umbrella review was to synthesize existing systematic review evidence on the effectiveness of in-hospital interventions to prevent or reduce avoidable hospital readmissions in older people (≥65 years old).

DATA SOURCES

A comprehensive database search was conducted in May 2019 through MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, the JBI Database of Systematic Reviews, DARE and Epistemonikos.

STUDY SELECTION

Systematic reviews and other research syntheses, including meta-analyses, exploring the effectiveness of hospital-based interventions to reduce readmissions for people aged 65 and older, irrespective of gender or clinical condition, were included for review. If a review did not exclusively focus on this age group, but data for this group could be extracted, then it was considered for inclusion. Only reviews in English were included.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data extracted for each review included the review objective, participant details, setting and context, type of studies, intervention type, comparator and findings.

RESULTS OF DATA SYNTHESIS

Twenty-nine reviews were included for analysis. Within these reviews, 11 intervention types were examined: in-hospital medication review, discharge planning, comprehensive geriatric assessment, early recovery after surgery, transitional care, interdisciplinary team care, in-hospital nutrition therapy, acute care geriatric units, in-hospital exercise, postfall interventions for people with dementia and emergency department-based palliative care. Except for discharge planning and transitional care, none of the interventions significantly reduced readmissions among older adults.

CONCLUSION

There is limited evidence to support the effectiveness of existing hospital-based interventions to reduce readmissions for people aged 65 and older.

Does health and social care provision for the community dwelling older population help to reduce unplanned secondary care, support timely discharge and improve patient well-being? A mixed method meta-review of systematic reviews

Background: This study aimed to identify and examine systematic review evidence of health and social care interventions for the community-dwelling older population regarding unplanned hospital admissions, timely hospital discharge and patient well-being. Methods: A meta-review was conducted using Joanna Briggs and PRISMA guidance. A search strategy was developed: eight bibliographic medical and social science databases were searched, and references of included studies checked. Searches were restricted to OECD countries and to systematic reviews published between January 2013-March 2018. Data extraction and quality appraisal was undertaken by one reviewer with a random sample screened independently by two others. Results: Searches retrieved 21,233 records; using data mining techniques, we identified 8,720 reviews. Following title and abstract and full-paper screening, 71 systematic reviews were included: 62 quantitative, seven qualitative and two mixed methods reviews. There were 52 reviews concerned with healthcare interventions and 19 reviews concerned with social care interventions. This meta-review summarises the evidence and evidence gaps of nine broad types of health and social care interventions. It scrutinises the presence of research in combined health and social care provision, finding it lacking in both definition and detail given. This meta-review debates the overlap of some of the person-centred support provided by community health and social care provision. Research recommendations have been generated by this process for both primary and secondary research. Finally, it proposes that research recommendations can be delivered on an ongoing basis if meta-reviews are conducted as living systematic reviews. Conclusions: This meta-review provides evidence of the effect of health and social care interventions for the community-dwelling older population and identification of evidence gaps. It highlights the lack of evidence for combined health and social care interventions and for the impact of social care interventions on health care outcomes. Registration: PROSPERO ID CRD42018087534; registered on 15 March 2018.

Clinical Pharmacy Services in Older Inpatients: An Evidence-Based Review

BACKGROUND

Hospital admissions in older adults are frequently drug related and avoidable. Clinical pharmacy interventions during hospital stay might reduce drug-related harm and reduce hospital visits. Moreover, several recent positive clinical pharmacy investigations incorporated a transitional care component to further improve medication use after discharge. It is currently unclear what the strength of evidence is and what the exact components should be of such clinical pharmacy interventions in older adults.

OBJECTIVE

An evidence-based review was performed to determine the status of the evidence and also to explore whether a clinical pharmacy intervention incorporating transitional care was associated with reduced hospital visits after discharge.

METHODS

Prospective controlled investigations were included if they contained a clinical pharmacy intervention that was initiated before discharge in older inpatients. Relevant quasi-experimental and randomized controlled trials were searched in MEDLINE. First, an evidence-based review was performed, including a description of the study design, characteristics, and outcomes. Major components of successful clinical pharmacy interventions were described and potential implications for clinical practice and research were determined. Second, the Fisher's exact test was used to explore the association between transitional care and reduced hospital visits. Third, based on these findings, a medication review proposal was developed to improve medication use in older adults.

RESULTS

Thirty-five studies were included, with 26 randomized controlled trials. Median patient follow-up after discharge was 90 days (interquartile range 37-180 days) and investigators enrolled a median of 210 (interquartile range 110-498) study participants. On average, patients were aged 77.5 years (interquartile range 73-82.2 years). Nine randomized controlled trials had sufficient power to detect a reduction in hospital visits after discharge; this was reduced in three randomized controlled trials. Post-discharge follow-up was not associated with reduced post-discharge hospital visits (20 randomized controlled trials: follow-up vs. no follow-up: 6/11 vs. 1/9, p = 0.070). There was a significant reduction in post-discharge hospital visits in patients aged 75 years or older (12 randomized controlled trials: follow-up vs. no follow-up: 5/7 vs. 0/5, p = 0.028). A medication review proposal was developed, consisting of six steps.

CONCLUSIONS

Three powered randomized controlled trials were identified that found a significant association between a pharmacist-led intervention in older adults and a reduction in post-discharge hospital visits. In clinical practice, an intervention consisting of medication reconciliation, review, counseling, and post-discharge follow-up should be provided to such high-risk inpatients. Regarding research priorities, large, multi-center randomized controlled trials should be performed to generate more evidence on the impact of clinical pharmacy interventions on the patient trajectory and economic outcomes.

Investigating the effect of clinical pharmacist intervention in transitions of care on drug-related hospital readmissions among the elderly: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Drug-related problems (DRPs) are a major cause of unplanned hospital admissions among elderly people, and transitions of care have been emphasised as a key area for improving patient safety. We have designed a complex clinical pharmacist intervention that targets people ≥75 years of age undergoing transitions of care from hospital to home and primary care. The main objective is to investigate if the intervention can reduce the risk of unplanned drug-related readmission within the first 180 days after the person is discharged from hospital.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is a randomised, controlled, superiority trial with two parallel arms. A total of 700 people ≥75 years will be assigned to either intervention or routine care (control). The intervention, which aims to find and manage DRPs, is initiated within a week of the person being discharged from hospital and combines repeated medical chart reviews, phone interviews and in some cases medication reviews. People in both study arms may have been the subject of a medication review during their ward stay. As the primary outcome, we will measure time until unplanned drug-related readmission within 180 days of leaving hospital and use log rank tests and Cox proportional hazard models to analyse differences between the groups. Further investigations of subgroup effects and adjustments of the regression models will be based on heart failure and cognitive impairment as prognostic factors.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study has been approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board in Umeå (registration numbers 2017-69-31M, 2018-83-32M and 2018-254-32M). We intend to publish the results with open access in international peer-reviewed journals and present our findings at international conferences. The trial is expected to result in more than one published article and form part of two PhD theses.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03671629.

Greater Changes in Drug Burden Index (DBI) during Hospitalization and Increased 30-Day Readmission Rates among Older In-Hospital Fallers

A higher drug burden index (DBI) is known to be associated with pre-admission falls leading to hospitalization. We investigated whether a mean difference in DBI (ΔDBI) between the events of in-hospital falls and hospital admission was associated with 30-day readmission in 113 patients ≥50 years who fell during their hospital stays between 2007 and 2014. A greater ΔDBI (≥0.09) was positively associated with higher 30-day readmission rates (incident rate ratio: 2.02; 95% confidence interval: 1.49-2.74). An effort to keep DBI low may thus decrease 30-day readmissions for older in-hospital fallers.

The impact of the clinical pharmacist-led interventions in China: A systematic review and Meta-Analysis

Background The clinical pharmacist has been an important partner in clinical treatment team. In China, there is no systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical pharmacy services on patients' outcomes such as hospitalization days, readmission rate and mortality. Aim of the review To investigate the impact of clinical pharmacist services on patients' length of hospitalization, readmission and mortality in China. Methods A literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, clinicaltrials.gov, and a Chinese database (up to January 2019). Randomized control trials or pre- to post-intervention comparison studies were included to investigate the impact of clinical pharmacist-led interventions on the length of stay, readmission rate and mortality of inpatients. Basic information, intervention and therapeutic area were extracted. Results After screening all articles from the mentioned databases, 14 studies were included for meta- analysis and subgroup analysis. Most studies focused on cardiology and respiratory diseases. Results show that clinical pharmacist services can reduce the length of stay of inpatients (MD: - 3.00, 95% CI - 4.72 to - 1.29, P < 0.01) and the readmission rate (RR 0.44, 95% CI 0.35-0.56, P < 0.01) as well as the mortality of patients during hospitalization (RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.35-0.92, P = 0.02). Conclusions Clinical pharmacist-led interventions could significantly reduce Chinese patients' length of hospitalization and readmission rate. More studies are needed to confirm the relationship between the clinical pharmacist-led interventions and patients' mortality.

Medication-related harm in older adults following hospital discharge: development and validation of a prediction tool

OBJECTIVES

To develop and validate a tool to predict the risk of an older adult experiencing medication-related harm (MRH) requiring healthcare use following hospital discharge.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS

Multicentre, prospective cohort study recruiting older adults (≥65 years) discharged from five UK teaching hospitals between 2013 and 2015.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE

Participants were followed up for 8 weeks in the community by senior pharmacists to identify MRH (adverse drug reactions, harm from non-adherence, harm from medication error). Three data sources provided MRH and healthcare use information: hospital readmissions, primary care use, participant telephone interview. Candidate variables for prognostic modelling were selected using two systematic reviews, the views of patients with MRH and an expert panel of clinicians. Multivariable logistic regression with backward elimination, based on the Akaike Information Criterion, was used to develop the PRIME tool. The tool was internally validated.

RESULTS

1116 out of 1280 recruited participants completed follow-up (87%). Uncertain MRH cases ('possible' and 'probable') were excluded, leaving a tool derivation cohort of 818. 119 (15%) participants experienced 'definite' MRH requiring healthcare use and 699 participants did not. Modelling resulted in a prediction tool with eight variables measured at hospital discharge: age, gender, antiplatelet drug, sodium level, antidiabetic drug, past adverse drug reaction, number of medicines, living alone. The tool's discrimination C-statistic was 0.69 (0.66 after validation) and showed good calibration. Decision curve analysis demonstrated the potential value of the tool to guide clinical decision making compared with alternative approaches.

CONCLUSIONS

The PRIME tool could be used to identify older patients at high risk of MRH requiring healthcare use following hospital discharge. Prior to clinical use we recommend the tool's evaluation in other settings.

Effectiveness of pharmacist home visits for individuals at risk of medication-related problems: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Background

Medication mismanagement is a major cause of both hospital admission and nursing home placement of frail older adults. Medication reviews by community pharmacists aim to maximise therapeutic benefit but also minimise harm. Pharmacist-led medication reviews have been the focus of several systematic reviews, but none have focussed on the home setting.

Review methods

To determine the effectiveness of pharmacist home visits for individuals at risk of medication-related problems we undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Thirteen databases were searched from inception to December 2018. Forward and backward citation of included studies was also performed. Articles were screened for inclusion independently by two reviewers. Randomised controlled studies of home visits by pharmacists for individuals at risk of medication-related problems were eligible for inclusion. Data extraction and quality appraisal were performed by one reviewer and checked by a second. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed where sufficient data allowed and narrative synthesis summarised all remaining data.

Results

Twelve RCTs (reported in 15 articles), involving 3410 participants, were included in the review. The frequency, content and purpose of the home visit varied considerably. The data from eight trials were suitable for meta-analysis of the effects on hospital admissions and mortality, and from three trials for the effects on quality of life. Overall there was no evidence of reduction in hospital admissions (risk ratio (RR) of 1.01 (95%CI 0.86 to 1.20, I² = 69.0%, p = 0.89; 8 studies, 2314 participants)), or mortality (RR of 1.01 (95%CI 0.81 to 1.26, I² = 0%, p = 0.94; 8 studies, 2314 participants)). There was no consistent evidence of an effect on quality of life, medication adherence or knowledge.

Conclusion

A systematic review of twelve RCTs assessing the impact of pharmacist home visits for individuals at risk of medication related problems found no evidence of effect on hospital admission or mortality rates, and limited evidence of effect on quality of life. Future studies should focus on using more robust methods to assess relevant outcomes.

Effectiveness of a Patient-Centered Weight Management Model in a Community Pharmacy: An Interventional Study

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the provision of a professional pharmaceutical patient-centered model in a weight management program and optimization of the medication in a Spanish community pharmacy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a single-group intervention study with a mean follow-up period of 8.2 months (sd 2.3). Patients ≥18 years old seeking to lose weight or improve eating habits were recruited. On the first visit, the pharmacist collected patients' sociodemographic and anthropometric variables, dietary history and lifestyle habits, biochemical measurements and other clinical and therapeutic data. The intervention was based on the Spanish Society of Community Pharmacy recommendations for diet and exercise and for pharmacotherapy management. The follow-up included a two-month visit and a final visit.

RESULTS

A total of 330 patients were included (80% women; mean age 51.3 years old (sd 15.3)). A statistically significant reduction in anthropometric measurements (weight, BMI, and waist circumference) and a statistically significant increase in the number of patients with normal cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol (p<0.001) were observed at two-month visit compared with first visit (p<0.001). The number of patients with normal triglyceride levels at final visit compared with first visit also increased significantly (p=0.04). A total of 186 (56.4%) patients had drug-related problems at first visit and 31 (9.4%) patients at two-month visit.

CONCLUSION

The implementation of a patient-centered weight management model had a positive impact on the improvement of anthropometric, clinical and therapeutic parameters.

Impact of pharmaceutical care in the orthopaedic department

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE

In the mid-1960s, clinical pharmacy developed in the USA, and as the demand for pharmaceutical services continued to grow, their impact began to be taken seriously. However, the participation of clinical pharmacists as members of the multidisciplinary team in the orthopaedic department is still in its infancy, although its role in orthopaedics has not been defined. The object of this study was to identify and discuss the impact of pharmaceutical care in the orthopaedic department.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted on MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) for papers published between 1998 and 2019, using the keywords pharmacy, pharmacist, and medication or drug combined with orthopaedic. Other available resources were also used to identify relevant articles.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Based on the available evidence in 74 articles, it was found that clinical pharmacists play an important role in all aspects of rational use of medications, medication review and reconciliation, monitoring adverse drug events, risk assessment, and medication education and counselling. In addition, clinical pharmacy services were developed to minimize medication errors, adverse drug events and medical costs, but clinical pharmacy is still in its early stages in orthopaedics.

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION

A multidisciplinary approach should be adopted in the orthopaedic department, as pharmacist interventions can be vital for promoting the safety, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of pharmacotherapy. Although pharmacists' contributions to orthopaedics are not yet fully recognized, pharmaceutical services can undoubtedly contribute to both clinical and societal outcomes.

Association between potentially inappropriate medications at discharge and unplanned readmissions among hospitalised elderly patients at a single centre in Japan: a prospective observational study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use at admission and discharge among hospitalised elderly patients and evaluate the association between PIMs at discharge and unplanned readmission in Japan.

DESIGN

A prospective observational study conducted by using electronic medical records.

PARTICIPANTS

All consecutive patients aged 65 years or older who were admitted to the internal medicine ward were included. Patients who were electively admitted for diagnostic procedures were excluded.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was 30-day unplanned readmissions. The secondary outcome was the prevalence of any PIM use at admission and discharge. PIMs were defined based on the Beers Criteria. The association between any PIM use at discharge and the primary outcome was evaluated by using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Seven hundred thirty-nine eligible patients were included in this study. The median patient age was 82 years (IQR 74-88); 389 (52.6%) were women, and the median Charlson Comorbidity Index was 2 (IQR 0-3). The proportions of patients taking any PIMs at admission and discharge were 47.2% and 32.2%, respectively. Of all the patients, 39 (5.3%) were readmitted within 30 days after discharge for the index hospitalisation. The use of PIMs at discharge was not associated with an increased risk of 30-day readmission (OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.46 to 1.87). This result did not change after adjusting for patient age, sex, number of medications, duration of hospital stay and comorbidities (OR 0.78; 95% CI 0.36 to 1.66).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of any PIM use at discharge was high among hospitalised elderly patients in a Japanese hospital. Although the use of PIMs at discharge was not associated with an increased risk of unplanned readmission, given a lack of power of this study due to a low event rate, further studies investigating this association are needed.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

UMIN000027189.

New horizons in deprescribing for older people

Deprescribing has gained interest recently, driven by an ageing population seeing an increasing number living with multiple long-term conditions. This, coupled with disease-specific guidelines derived from clinical trials in younger people, has led to an increase in exposure to polypharmacy and the associated therapeutic burden. Older people, especially those living with frailty, tend to experience lower efficacy of these medications along with a higher risk of drug adverse effects. Explanations for these differences include the physiological effects of frailty, drug-drug interactions, drug-disease interactions and reduced medication adherence. Adverse drug reactions often go unnoticed and can trigger further prescribing. Certain medications have been recognised as potentially inappropriate for people with frailty, yet their use remains common. Evidence suggests that many older people are open to the concept of reducing medications. Deprescribing should be based around a shared decision-making approach. Trials to date have suggested that it can often be achieved without harm. To date, there are few data to support improvements in hospitalisation or mortality rates. However, there is some evidence that it may reduce polypharmacy, improve medication adherence, reduce financial costs and improve quality of life. In the future, it will be necessary to grow the evidence base and improve public and clinician awareness of the potential benefits of deprescribing. It will require excellent team working and communication between all of those involved in the prescribing and administration of medications, also supported by improved healthcare informatics. Non-pharmacological approaches will need to be promoted. Fewer drugs is not less care.

Medication Review and Patient Outcomes in an Orthopedic Department: A Randomized Controlled Study

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the health-related effect of systematic medication review performed by a clinical pharmacist and a clinical pharmacologist on nonelective elderly orthopedic patients.

METHODS

This is a nonblinded randomized controlled study of 108 patients 65 years or older treated with at least 4 drugs. For the intervention, the clinical pharmacist reviewed the participants' medication after completion of the usual medication routine. Information was collected from medical charts, interviews with participants, and database registrations of drug purchase. Results were conferred with the clinical pharmacologist, and recommendations were delivered directly to the ward physicians. The control was usual medication routine, that is, physicians prescribing admitting orders. The primary outcome was time to the first unplanned contact to a physician after discharge (i.e., general practitioner, emergency department visit, or readmission) during 3-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes included other health-related outcomes, for example, length of in-hospital stay, mortality, and quality of life.

RESULTS

Time to the first unplanned contact to a physician was 14.9 days (95% confidence interval, 8.9-21.0) in the intervention group compared with 27.3 days (95% confidence interval, 18.9-35.7) in the controls (P = 0.05). Overall, no statistically significant differences were seen in the secondary outcomes apart from "number of" and "time to first" emergency department visits, which were in favor of the intervention group. A marked hesitation of the ward physicians to comply with recommendations was noted (18%).

CONCLUSIONS

The study showed that the patients receiving usual care had a significantly longer time to the first unplanned contact to a physician after discharge; however, the fact that less than 1 of 5 recommendations was adopted by the physicians raises concerns as to whether this finding could be attributable to the intervention.

Interventions to Promote Early Discharge and Avoid Inappropriate Hospital (Re)Admission: A Systematic Review

Increasing pressure on limited healthcare resources has necessitated the development of measures promoting early discharge and avoiding inappropriate hospital (re)admission. This systematic review examines the evidence for interventions in acute hospitals including (i) hospital-patient discharge to home, community services or other settings, (ii) hospital discharge to another care setting, and (iii) reduction or prevention of inappropriate hospital (re)admissions. Academic electronic databases were searched from 2005 to 2018. In total, ninety-four eligible papers were included. Interventions were categorized into: (1) pre-discharge exclusively delivered in the acute care hospital, (2) pre- and post-discharge delivered by acute care hospital, (3) post-discharge delivered at home and (4) delivered only in a post-acute facility. Mixed results were found regarding the effectiveness of many types of interventions. Interventions exclusively delivered in the acute hospital pre-discharge and those involving education were most common but their effectiveness was limited in avoiding (re)admission. Successful pre- and post-discharge interventions focused on multidisciplinary approaches. Post-discharge interventions exclusively delivered at home reduced hospital stay and contributed to patient satisfaction. Existing systematic reviews on tele-health and long-term care interventions suggest insufficient evidence for admission avoidance. The most effective interventions to avoid inappropriate re-admission to hospital and promote early discharge included integrated systems between hospital and the community care, multidisciplinary service provision, individualization of services, discharge planning initiated in hospital and specialist follow-up.

Deprescribing interventions and their impact on medication adherence in community-dwelling older adults with polypharmacy: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Polypharmacy, and the associated adverse drug events such as non-adherence to prescriptions, is a common problem for elderly people living with multiple comorbidities. Deprescribing, i.e. the gradual withdrawal from medications with supervision by a healthcare professional, is regarded as a means of reducing adverse effects of multiple medications including non-adherence. This systematic review examines the evidence of deprescribing as an effective strategy for improving medication adherence amongst older, community dwelling adults.

METHODS

A mixed methods review was undertaken. Eight bibliographic database and two clinical trials registers were searched between May and December 2017. Results were double screened in accordance with pre-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria related to polypharmacy, deprescribing and adherence in older, community dwelling populations. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used for quality appraisal and an a priori data collection instrument was used. For the quantitative studies, a narrative synthesis approach was taken. The qualitative data was analysed using framework analysis. Findings were integrated using a mixed methods technique. The review was performed in accordance with the PRISMA reporting statement.

RESULTS

A total of 22 original studies were included, of which 12 were RCTs. Deprescribing with adherence as an outcome measure was identified in randomised controlled trials (RCTs), observational and cohort studies from 13 countries between 1996 and 2017. There were 17 pharmacy-led interventions; others were led by General Practitioners (GP) and nurses. Four studies demonstrated an overall reduction in medications of which all studies corresponded with improved adherence. A total of thirteen studies reported improved adherence of which 5 were RCTs. Adherence was reported as a secondary outcome in all but one study.

CONCLUSIONS

There is insufficient evidence to show that deprescribing improves medication adherence. Only 13 studies (of 22) reported adherence of which only 5 were randomised controlled trials. Older people are particularly susceptible to non-adherence due to multi-morbidity associated with polypharmacy. Bio-psycho-social factors including health literacy and multi-disciplinary team interventions influence adherence. The authors recommend further study into the efficacy and outcomes of medicines management interventions. A consensus on priority outcome measurements for prescribed medications is indicated.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO number CRD42017075315.

DREAMeR: Drug use Reconsidered in the Elderly using goal Attainment scales during Medication Review; study protocol of a randomised controlled trial

Background

Clinical medication reviews (CMR) are increasingly performed in older patients with polypharmacy. Studies have shown positive effects of CMR on process- and intermediate outcomes, like drug-related problems (DRPs). Little effect has been shown on clinical outcomes, like hospital admissions or health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). In particular, HR-QoL is related to the individual health-related goals and complaints of patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a CMR focused on personal goals on HR-QoL and health-related complaints in older patients with polypharmacy.

Methods

A randomised controlled trial will be performed in 35 Dutch community pharmacies aiming to include 630 patients aged 70 years and older using seven or more chronic drugs. Patients will be randomly assigned to control or intervention group by block-randomisation per pharmacy. Patients in the intervention group receive a CMR focused on patients’ preferences, personal goals and health-related complaints. With every goal a goal attainment scale (GAS) will be proposed. Primary outcome measures are HR-QoL, measured with the EQ-5D-5L and EQ-VAS and the number of health-related complaints per patient measured with a written questionnaire, during a follow-up period of six months. Secondary outcomes are healthcare utilisation, number and type of drug changes, number and type of health-related goals, scores on GAS and number and type of DRPs and interventions.

Discussion

This study is expected to add evidence on the effects of a CMR on HR-QoL and health-related complaints in older patients with polypharmacy. New in this study is the use of personal goals measured with GAS and health-related complaints as patient-related outcome measures.

Trial registration

Netherlands Trial Register; NTR5713.

Study protocol for a single-centre, prospective, non-blinded, randomised, 12-month, parallel-group superiority study to compare the efficacy of pharmacist intervention versus usual care for elderly patients hospitalised in orthopaedic wards

INTRODUCTION

Given that polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate prescribing are common in elderly orthopaedic patients, pharmacist interventions to improve medication practices among this population are important. However, past studies have reported mixed results regarding the effectiveness of pharmacist-led interventions in inpatient elderly care. Furthermore, few randomised controlled trials have evaluated patient-relevant outcomes as a primary endpoint. Therefore, we will evaluate whether a pharmacist-led intervention could reduce readmission of hospitalised elderly orthopaedic patients with polypharmacy or potentially inappropriate prescribing.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is an ongoing single-centre, prospective, non-blinded, randomised controlled trial designed to evaluate the superiority of a pharmacist-led intervention for hospitalised elderly patients compared with usual care. The trial will include newly admitted orthopaedic patients 70 years of age and older with polypharmacy or at least one potentially inappropriate prescription, as identified by the screening tool of older people's prescriptions (STOPP) criteria. Usual care includes medication reconciliation, patient education and monitoring, as well as providing information about discharge medications. Pharmacist interventions, in addition to usual care, include advising the patient's physician to stop unnecessary or inappropriate medications and start necessary medications. The primary outcome is the 1-year readmission rate. Secondary outcomes are the proportion of patients who undergo emergency department visits and the occurrences of all-cause death, a new fracture, myocardial infarction and ischaemic stroke. The study started in November 2017, and up to approximately 220 patients will be enrolled.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The protocol was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the National Hospital Organization Tochigi Medical Center (No. 29-22). The trial was registered at the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) clinical registry. The results of this trial will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

UMIN000029404.

Evidence for the outcomes and impact of clinical pharmacy: context of UK hospital pharmacy practice

Objectives

The role of clinical pharmacists in hospitals has evolved and continues to expand. In the UK, outside of a few national policy drivers, there are no agreed priorities, measures or defined outcomes for hospital clinical pharmacy (CP). This paper aims to (1) highlight the need to identify and prioritise specific CP roles, responsibilities and practices that will bring the greatest benefit to patients and health systems and (2) describe systematic weaknesses in current research methodologies for evaluating CP services and propose a different approach.

Method

Published reviews of CP services are discussed using the Economic, Clinical and Humanistic Outcomes framework. Recurring themes regarding study methodologies, measurements and outcomes are used to highlight current weaknesses in studies evaluating CP.

Results

Published studies aiming to demonstrate the economic, clinical or humanistic outcomes of CP often suffer from poor research design and inconsistencies in interventions, measurements and outcomes. This has caused difficulties in drawing meaningful conclusions regarding CP's definitive contribution to patient outcomes.

Conclusion

There is a need for more research work in National Health Service (NHS) hospitals, employing a different paradigm to address some of the weaknesses of existing research on CP practice. We propose a mixed-methods approach, including qualitative research designs, and with emphasis on cost-consequence analyses for economic evaluations. This approach will provide more meaningful data to inform policy and demonstrate the contribution of hospital CP activities to patient care and the NHS.