Effect of pharmacist intervention on physician prescribing in patients with chronic schizophrenia: a descriptive pre/post study

Multicenter prospective observational study on hospital pharmacist interventions to reduce inappropriate medications

Background: In Japan, the involvement of hospital pharmacists in inappropriate medications (IMs) practices has not been sufficiently reported. Therefore, this prospective study described the interventions of hospital pharmacists in discontinuing inappropriate drugs or reducing drug doses. Methods: We conducted a prospective, multicenter, observational study to investigate the intervention of hospital pharmacists in inappropriate prescriptions for inpatients in September 2018. Fifty pharmacists from 45 hospitals in Japan participated in this study. IMs were defined as medications that pharmacists deemed inappropriate for patient treatment. The subjects of the study were patients who interacted with the participating pharmacists. Results: During the study period, the median number of beds in hospitals where the 50 participating pharmacists worked was 380, and the average number of beds for which the pharmacists were responsible was 49. The enrolled hospital pharmacists recommended that doctors discontinue or reduce the doses of their regular drugs for 347 out of 1,415 (24.5%) patients. Among the 391 pharmacists' recommendations to reduce IMs for 347 patients, physicians accepted 368 (94.1%) recommendations, and 523 drugs were discontinued as a result. Pharmacist intervention also led to improvements in hypnotic sedation, delirium, and hypotension. The most common reasons for IMs identified by pharmacists were "long-term administration of irresponsible or aimless medications" (44.5%), "adverse effects caused by medications" (31.5%), and "medications-mediated duplication of the pharmacological effect" (15.3%). Approximately 90% of pharmacists' suggestions to reduce medications were accepted for each reason. The average number of regular medications used by patients involved in drug reduction was 8.2, and the average number of medications reduced was 1.7. A sub-analysis showed that patients using opioids tended to take more medications, and these patients were able to reduce the amount of medications taken. Interventions by pharmacists certified in palliative pharmacies tended to reduce adverse drug events. Conclusion: This was the first multicenter prospective observational study conducted in Japan to demonstrate hospital pharmacist intervention's effectiveness in promoting appropriate prescription and, consequently, a reduction in the number of medications in use and polypharmacy.

Pharmacist-led interventions for people living with severe and persistent mental illness: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

People living with severe and persistent mental illness experience poorer physical health, often due to medication and preventable lifestyle factors, and exacerbated by barriers to accessing healthcare services. Pharmacists are well-positioned to improve the physical and mental health of this population. However, little is known about pharmacists' current practices when providing services to this population nor the impact of pharmacist-led interventions on consumer health outcomes. We undertook a systematic review to identify, describe and assess the effectiveness of pharmacist-led interventions for supporting people living with severe and persistent mental illness and the impact on consumer outcomes.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses were searched between January 1990 and April 2020. Full-text studies exploring pharmacist-led interventions in any setting for people living with severe and persistent mental illness were included. A risk of bias assessment was conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 37 studies were included. More than half of the pharmacist interventions were multifaceted. The most common components of pharmacist-led interventions included education and/or patient counselling, providing recommendations to healthcare professionals and conducting medication reviews. Multifaceted interventions demonstrated improvements in clinical outcomes, whereas single interventions focused mostly on consumer-reported outcomes. The methodological quality of included studies was moderate-to-high risk of bias and there was considerable heterogeneity in the study design, interventions described, and outcomes reported.

CONCLUSION

There is evidence that pharmacist-led interventions improve consumer-reported and clinical outcomes for people living with severe and persistent mental illness. Pharmacists are capable and have a role in supporting people living with severe and persistent mental illness, either individually or as interprofessional collaborators with other healthcare professionals. Future research should attempt to better understand which particular intervention components have the greatest impact and also evaluate the implementation and long-term sustainability of such interventions.

Gaps in pharmaceutical care for patients with mental health issues: A cross-sectional study

Background

Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Medications are a primary method of managing mental health problems, and pharmacists therefore have a vital role in supporting patients and providing them with information about the safety and efficacy of mental health medications. However, the potential role of pharmacists in managing mental health issues in Jordan has not been well established.

Aim

This study aimed to assess Jordanian pharmacists’ attitudes and actual practices related to the provision of mental health services.

Method

This was an exploratory cross-sectional study that used a self-report questionnaire among a convenience sample of 347 pharmacists in Amman, the capital of Jordan.

Results

The participating pharmacists had positive attitudes towards providing care for patients with mental health problems. However, their actual practices did not resonate with their enthusiasm, particularly in terms of the long-term follow-up of disease symptoms and medication side effects and adherence. The participating pharmacists showed an eagerness to collaborate with their colleagues, but their level of actual cooperation was lower than desired. The most reported barrier to providing care for patients with mental health problems was the lack of education on mental health issues (71.5%), followed by the lack of privacy in pharmacy settings (53.9%).

Conclusion

To be effectively involved in the provision of care to mental health patients, pharmacists should receive adequate education/training related to mental health issues, and pharmacies should be redesigned to provide private areas for patient counseling.

Medical staff perspective on factors influencing their prescribing decisions: a cross-sectional study in Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Objectives

Understanding medical staff’s prescription behaviors helps improve the quality of prescriptions and the rationality of medication use. Although factors affecting the prescribing decisions were discussed in various studies worldwide, limited knowledge of these issues has been reported in Vietnam. This paper aims to examine factors that influence prescribing behavior concerning medical staff’s demographics and characteristic differences.

Methods

Quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study, using adapted questionnaire consisting of 27 factors divided into 9 factor categories, was conducted with medical staff in Mekong Delta during June–July, 2019. Rasch analysis was performed to assess the questionnaire psychometric properties. Descriptive analysis, parametric tests and non-parametric tests were utilized to address the study objectives.

Key findings

A total of 201 participants completed the questionnaire. A majority of participants (>90%) agreed that their own decision to prescribe a drug was influenced by several factors such as drug safety and efficacy (92.5%), patient history (92.0%), patient income (92.0%) and patient disease status (91.0%). There were significant age differences in influences on prescribing decision. Medical staff aged under 30 appreciated the role of pharmacists higher than whose aged 31–40 (P-value = 0.010) and over 40 (P-value = 0.013). Additionally, they were more concerned with ‘patient characteristics’ including patient request, expectations, and disease status when making prescribing decisions compared with whose aged over 40 (P-value = 0.005).

Conclusions

The study revealed various factors influencing medical staff prescription decision-making processes. These findings could be useful for pharmaceutical companies in Vietnam in developing marketing strategies, and for policy-makers in timely improvement of prescription quality.

Impact of pharmacists on outcomes for patients with psychiatric or neurologic disorders

INTRODUCTION

Psychiatric and neurologic illnesses are highly prevalent and are often suboptimally treated. A 2015 review highlighted the value of psychiatric pharmacists in improving medication-related outcomes. There is a need to describe areas of expansion and strengthened evidence regarding pharmacist practice and patient care impact in psychiatric and neurologic settings since 2015.

METHODS

A systematic search of literature published from January 2014 to June 2019 was conducted. Publications describing patient-level outcome results associated with pharmacist provision of care in a psychiatric/neurologic setting and/or in relation to central nervous system (CNS) medications were included.

RESULTS

A total of 64 publications were included. There was significant heterogeneity of published study methods and data, prohibiting meta-analysis. Pharmacists practicing across a wide variety of health care settings with focus on CNS medication management significantly improved patient-level outcomes, such as medication adherence, disease control, and avoidance of hospitalization. The most common practice approach associated with significant improvement in patient-level outcomes was incorporation of psychiatric pharmacist input into the interprofessional health care team.

DISCUSSION

Pharmacists who focus on psychiatric and neurologic disease improve outcomes for patients with these conditions. This is important in the current health care environment as most patients with psychiatric or neurologic conditions continue to have unmet needs. Additional studies designed to measure pharmacists' impact on patient-level outcomes are encouraged to strengthen these findings.

Prescription of potentially inappropriate medications in elderly outpatients: a survey using 2015 Japanese Guidelines

Background In recent years, rapid increase of elderly population has become a major social problem in developed countries. They tend to receive an increasing number of prescibed drugs due to multiple illnesses, which might include inappropriate medications, in turn leading to health hazards and rising healthcare cost. Objective To evaluate the current status of potentially inappropriate medications prescribed for elderly outpatients and filled by dispensing pharmacies using the recent Japanese Guidelines, and to determine factors that are related to prescribing potentially inappropriate medications. Setting A cross-sectional study of older patients (≥ 75 years) who visited dispensing pharmacies in the Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Method We identified patients prescribed potentially inappropriate medications using the “List of Medications that Require Particularly Careful Administration” in the Guidelines (Guideline List). We explored patient’s factors related to polypharmacy (≥ 5 medications) and prescription of inappropriate medications through multivariate analysis, and a cutoff value for predicting potentially inappropriate medications through receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Main outcome measure Prevalence of polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications, and patient’s factors associated with them. Results Of 8080 patients (39,252 medications) who visited pharmacies during the study period, 43.1% (3481) were prescribed ≥ 5 medications. In total, 2157 patients (26.7%) were prescribed at least one potentially inappropriate medication. The most prescribed inappropriate medication class was (benzodiazepine) sedatives and hypnotics. Potentially inappropriate medications were 7.11 times (95% CI 6.29–8.03) and 1.51 times (1.34–1.71) more likely to be prescribed for patients with ≥ 5 medications and those prescribed by multiple physicians, respectively. A cutoff value for potentially inappropriate medications was found to be five for the total number of medications and four for the number of chronic medications with a systemic effect. Conclusion Prescription of potentially inappropriate medications was increased among patients with ≥ 5 medications and those chronically prescribed ≥ 4 medications with a systemic effect. The Guideline List should be actively used to screen such patients, and to carefully examine prescriptions. Particular care should be exercised when patients are visiting multiple physicians.

Effects of antidepressants on QT interval in people with mental disorders

INTRODUCTION

Drug-induced QT prolongation is associated with higher cardiovascular mortality.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We conducted a protocol-based comprehensive review of antidepressant-induced QT prolongation in people with mental disorders.

RESULTS

Based on findings from 47 published randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 3 unpublished RCTs, 14 observational studies, 662 case reports of torsades de pointes, and 168 cases of QT prolongation, we conclude that all antidepressants should be used only with licensed doses, and that all patients receiving antidepressants require monitoring of QT prolongation and clinical symptoms of cardiac arrhythmias. Large observational studies suggest increased mortality associated with all antidepressants (RR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.60-1.63, number of adults: 1,716,552), high doses of tricyclic antidepressants (OR = 2.11, 85% CI 1.10-4.22), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (OR = 2.78, 95% CI: 1.24-6.24), venlafaxine (OR = 3.73, 95% CI: 1.33-10.45, number of adults: 4,040), and nortriptyline (OR = 4.60, 95% CI: 1.20-18.40, number of adults: 5,298).

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence regarding the risk of QT prolongation in children is sparse.

Competence and confidence with prescribing in pharmacy and medicine: a scoping review

Objectives

Prescribing is a growing scope of practice for pharmacists. The objective of this scoping review is to explore themes within the literature related to prescribing competence and confidence in the disciplines of pharmacy and medicine.

Methods

Online databases MEDLINE, EMBASE and Global Health were used to identify articles from inception to October 2018. Articles describing either the competence or confidence of physician, pharmacist or student prescribing, including inappropriate prescribing and prescribing errors were included.

Key findings

After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 33 eligible articles remained. Many studies demonstrate that medical students and junior doctors are not competent in prescribing when they enter practice, and their perceived confidence is often higher than their assessed competence. There were fewer studies about pharmacist competence and confidence with prescribing; however, they described pharmacists that felt competent to prescribe but lacked confidence. Themes from the review included self-awareness, lack of education and educational improvements, prescribing errors and resources, prescribing culture and barriers to prescribing, gender differences and benefits to prescribing.

Conclusions

There is little consensus from the outcomes of these studies related to prescribing competence or confidence. While some reflect positively on prescribing competence and confidence, others show major deficits in competence and lack of confidence. Further research needs to be done to evaluate pharmacist competence and confidence with respect to prescribing.

Positive impact of clinical pharmacist interventions on antipsychotic use in patients on excessive polypharmacy evidenced in a retrospective cohort study

Objectives

Although antipsychotic prescribing in elderly patients using polypharmacy has not been studied in well-designed clinical trials and meta-analyses, there is an urgent need to monitor prescribing practice in this population. One of the possible approaches to optimize pharmacotherapy may be the involvement of clinical pharmacists (CPs). The aim of this research was to examine whether the involvement of a CP can improve treatment guidelines adherence and change the total number of medications per patient in older patients who are treated with excessive polypharmacy that includes antipsychotics.

Methods

This cohort retrospective study included older patients (65 years or older) treated with at least one antipsychotic and excessive polypharmacy (10 or more medications concurrently) between 2012 and 2014 in primary care. The main outcome measures were antipsychotic treatment guidelines’ adherence and the total number of medications per patient after the CP’s interventions. Only interventions including antipsychotics were studied in detail (i.e., discontinuation, switching, initiation, dose adjustment, change of another medication because of a drug-related problem). Data on diagnoses, patient pharmacotherapy and the CP’s interventions were obtained from clinical records and medical reviews. Age and acceptance of the CP’s interventions were used as predictive factors for antipsychotic treatment guidelines’ adherence.

Results

Forty-nine patients were included. The CP suggested 21 different interventions of which nine (42.8%) were accepted by the general practitioners. The number of medications that patients received decreased after the CP’s interventions (N of medications before: 15.4; N of medications after: 12.0, p < 0.05). The acceptance of the CP’s recommendations, but not age, improved antipsychotic treatment guidelines’ adherence (p = 0.041).

Conclusions

These results show that a collaborative care approach including a CP in primary care significantly improved the adherence to treatment guidelines. The results also support the implementation of this service in the Slovenian healthcare system, although more studies are needed.

Polypharmacy leads to increased prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication in the Indonesian geriatric population visiting primary care facilities

Background

The geriatric population is particularly vulnerable to being prescribed potentially inappropriate medication (PIM); however, the prevalence of this occurrence remains poorly investigated in Indonesia. Thus in this research, we focused on investigating the prevalence and predictors of PIM among the Indonesian geriatric population in a primary health care setting.

Methods

A retrospective observational study was conducted in 25 primary health care facilities in Karawang District, Indonesia. The medical prescriptions of patients aged ≥60 years during January–December 2014 were documented, and the PIM was assessed based on Beers and McLeod criteria. The influence of age, sex, number of diseases, and polypharmacy toward PIM was assessed using a logistic regression model. A P-value of <0.05 defined statistical significance.

Results

A total of 3,819 subjects were included in the study. PIM was highly prevalent (52.2%) among the Indonesian elderly. Chlorpheniramine, mefenamic acid, ibuprofen, and nifedipine were the most commonly prescribed PIM. Polypharmacy (odds ratio: 1.2 [0.6, 2.1]) was the only factor associated with the use of PIM, while sex, age, and multiple diseases did not show significant association.

Conclusion

PIM is a concern in the Indonesian geriatric population. Health care professionals are encouraged to review the medications of their geriatric patients using updated safety guidelines to prevent risks associated with PIM.

Polypharmacy and psychotropic drug loading in patients with schizophrenia in Asian countries: Fourth survey of Research on Asian Prescription Patterns on antipsychotics

AIM

The aim of the present study was to survey the prevalence of antipsychotic polypharmacy and combined medication use across 15 Asian countries and areas in 2016.

METHODS

By using the results from the fourth survey of Research on Asian Prescription Patterns on antipsychotics, the rates of polypharmacy and combined medication use in each country were analyzed. Daily medications prescribed for the treatment of inpatients or outpatients with schizophrenia, including antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, hypnotics, and antiparkinson agents, were collected. Fifteen countries from Asia participated in this study.

RESULTS

A total of 3744 patients' prescription forms were examined. The prescription patterns differed across these Asian countries, with the highest rate of polypharmacy noted in Vietnam (59.1%) and the lowest in Myanmar (22.0%). Furthermore, the combined use of other medications, expressed as highest and lowest rate, respectively, was as follows: mood stabilizers, China (35.0%) and Bangladesh (1.0%); antidepressants, South Korea (36.6%) and Bangladesh (0%); anxiolytics, Pakistan (55.7%) and Myanmar (8.5%); hypnotics, Japan (61.1%) and, equally, Myanmar (0%) and Sri Lanka (0%); and antiparkinson agents, Bangladesh (87.9%) and Vietnam (10.9%). The average psychotropic drug loading of all patients was 2.01 ± 1.64, with the highest and lowest loadings noted in Japan (4.13 ± 3.13) and Indonesia (1.16 ± 0.68), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Differences in psychiatrist training as well as the civil culture and health insurance system of each country may have contributed to the differences in these rates. The concept of drug loading can be applied to other medical fields.

Effects of atypical antipsychotic drugs on QT interval in patients with mental disorders

Background

Drug-induced QT prolongation is associated with higher risk of cardiac arrhythmias and cardiovascular mortality. We investigated the effects of atypical antipsychotic drugs on QT interval in children and adults with mental disorders.

Methods

We conducted random-effects direct frequentist meta-analyses of aggregate data from randomized controlled trials (RCT) and appraised the quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. Our search in PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, clinicaltrials.gov, and PharmaPendium up to October 2017 identified studies that examined aripiprazole, quetiapine, risperidone, olanzapine, ziprasidone and brexpiprazole.

Results

Low quality evidence suggests that aripiprazole (four meta-analyses and twelve RCTs), brexpiprazole (one systematic review and four RCTs) or olanzapine (five meta-analyses and twenty RCTs) do not increase QT interval. Low quality evidence suggests that ziprasidone (five meta-analyses and 11 RCTs) increases QT interval and the rates of QT prolongation while risperidone (four meta-analyses, 70 RCTs) and quetiapine (two meta-analyses and seven RCTs) are associated with QT prolongation and greater odds of torsades de pointes ventricular tachycardia especially in cases of drug overdose.

Conclusions

The main conclusion of our study is that in people with mental disorders and under treatment with atypical antipsychotic drugs, in order to avoid QT prolongation and reduce the risk of ventricular tachycardia clinicians may recommend aripiprazole, brexpiprazole or olanzapine in licensed doses. Long-term comparative safety needs to be established.