Impact of a multidisciplinary medication reconciliation program on clinical outcomes: A pre-post intervention study in surgical patients

BackgroundPrevious studies have evaluated the effects of medication reconciliation (MR) and suggest that it is effective in decreasing medication discrepancies. Nevertheless, a recent overview of systematic reviews concluded that there is no clear evidence in favor of MR in patient-related outcomes and healthcare utilization, and further research about it is needed.ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of a multidisciplinary MR program on clinical outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer presenting other chronic diseases, undergoing elective colorectal surgery.MethodsWe performed a pre-post study. Adult patients scheduled for elective colorectal cancer surgery were included if they presented at least one “high-risk” criteria. The MR program was developed by internists, pharmacists and surgeons, and ended with the obtention of the patient's pre-admission medication list and follow-up care until discharge. The primary outcome was the length of stay (LOS). Secondly, we evaluated mortality, preventable surgery cancellations and risk factors for complications.ResultsThree hundred and eight patients were enrolled. Only one patient in the pre-intervention group suffered a preventable surgery cancellation (p = 0.317). The mean LOS was 13 ± 12 vs. 11 ± 5 days in the pre-intervention and the intervention cohort, respectively (p = 0.435). A difference in favor of the intervention group in patients with cardiovascular disease (p = 0.038) and those >75 years old (p = 0.043) was observed. No difference was detected in the mortality rate (p = 0.999) neither most of the indicators of risk factors for complications. However, the management of preoperative systolic blood pressure of hypertensive patients (p = 0.004) and insulin reconciliation in patients with treated diabetes (p = 0.003) were statistically better in the intervention group.ConclusionsNo statistically significant change was observed in the mean global LOS. A statistically significant positive effect on LOS was observed in vulnerable populations: patients >75 years old and those with cardiovascular disease, who presented a 5-day reduction in the mean LOS.     

A systematic review of pharmacist-led medicines review services in New Zealand – is there equity for Māori older adults?

BackgroundPharmacist involvement in medicines reviews for older adults can improve prescribing and reduce adverse drug reactions. Māori experience poorer health outcomes than non-Māori resulting, in part, from inequitable access to and quality of medicine-related care. Despite international data showing benefit, it is unclear whether pharmacist-led medicines review services can improve outcomes for Māori older adults.ObjectiveThis systematic review aims to describe pharmacist-led medicines review services for community-dwelling adults in New Zealand, assess effectiveness of these interventions and identify their effect on health equity for Māori and older adults.MethodsThe review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses – Equity (PRISMA-E 2012). Observational studies were included. The intervention in included studies had to involve a pharmacist, occur in the outpatient setting in New Zealand, and involve review of all medicines for an individual patient. At least one patient-related outcome had to be reported.ResultsThe search identified seven observational studies with 542 total participants. Study interventions included adherence-based reviews in community pharmacies and multi-step comprehensive clinical reviews in outpatient haemodialysis units. Medicines reviews identified up to a median of 3 drug-related problems per review. The effect of interventions on medicines adherence and knowledge was not clear. Māori may have been less likely than non-Māori to benefit from improved medicines knowledge as a result of interventions. None of the studies incorporated aspects in study design or delivery to address inequities for Māori.ConclusionFurther investigation is needed to understand whether the development of culturally safe pharmacist-led medicines review services, responsive to community identified needs, can help to achieve equity in health outcomes for Māori older adults.     

Effect of pharmacist care on medication adherence and cardiovascular outcomes among patients post-acute coronary syndrome: A systematic review

Background

The impact of collaborative and multidisciplinary health care on the outcomes of care in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is well-established in the literature. However, there is lack of high quality evidence on the role of pharmacist care in this setting.

Association between availability of care providers and healthcare utilizations among adults with asthma

Background: Limited accessibility to providers may delay appropriate control of asthma exacerbations. The objective of our study is to estimate the contributors to the hospital/emergency department (ED) visits among adults with asthma focusing on the availability of healthcare providers.

Methods: We conducted a pooled cross-sectional analysis using the 2011–2013 Asthma Call-Back Survey linked with 2012–2016 Area Health Resource Files. We employed multivariable logistic regression with dichotomous outcomes of hospitalization and ED visits. Key covariates were the availability of county-level healthcare provider variables per 100,000 persons such as the number of lung disease specialists (including pulmonary care specialists, and allergy and immunology specialists), the number of hospitals, the number of safety-net facilities including rural health centers (RHCs) and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), and the number of primary care physicians (PCPs).

Results: Among 25,621 adults, proportions of hospital visits and ED visits were 3.3% and 13.2%, respectively. An additional RHC reduced by 3% the odds of having an ED visit (odds ratio [OR]?=?0.97, p?=?.004). Patients with cost barriers to seeing a PCP were 60% (OR?=?1.60, p?=?.028) more likely to have a hospital visit than those without. In addition, patients with cost barriers to seeing a specialist were 90% (OR?=?1.90, p?=?.007) and 111% (OR?=?2.11, p?=?.001) more likely to have a hospital visit and ED visit, respectively, than those without.

Conclusions: Hospital and ED visits among adults with asthma are partially related to the availability of providers, and more related to financial barriers. Therefore, financial support for the vulnerable asthma population might be a target for policy makers interested in reducing hospitalizations and ED visits.     

Video-based teleconsultations in pharmaceutical care – A systematic review

BackgroundIn recent years, telemedicine has gained increasing importance in the delivery of pharmaceutical care. The use of video technologies for remote communication between different parties offers the potential to meet the future challenges which arise from the increase in elderly and chronically ill patients. However, the influence of these technologies on patient-related outcomes in pharmaceutical care is not yet sufficiently known.MethodIn December 2018 a systematic literature search was conducted in the databases Medline, Cochrane Library and PubPharm. Randomized controlled trials were considered, which investigate real-time video conferencing between pharmacists on the one hand and patients or other healthcare providers on the other hand. The influence on patient related outcomes compared to standard care was assessed. The bias potential was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias instrument. A total of 4 randomized controlled trials could be included.ResultsThe studies describe partly complex intervention settings with adults and adolescents suffering from asthma, chronic renal failure, HIV infection, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and/or diabetes. None of the studies considers the interprofessional communication of pharmacists with other service providers. No influence on clinical or psychological endpoints was found. In some cases, an increase in adherence and correct medication use is evident. Healthcare utilization is not influenced. In all studies there is an increased risk of systematic bias.DiscussionTeleconsultations with pharmacists can rather be used to ensure the general provision of pharmaceutical care than to improve patient-related outcomes. Further studies are necessary to fully depict the influence of telemedical interventions in pharmaceutical care.     

Use of the transtheoretical model in medication adherence: A systematic review

BackgroundMedication nonadherence is an important public health issue that has individual and system-level implications. Nonadherence can lead to negative health outcomes and illness, which in turn produce increased healthcare costs for both the individual and system. The transtheoretical model of change (TTM) can be a useful basis for interventions, as it can identify patients' current stages of change and guide them from nonadherence to adherence.ObjectiveThe objective of this systematic review was to determine the utilization of the TTM to predict or improve medication adherence in patients with chronic conditions.MethodsA systematic review of current literature was conducted to obtain an overview of the use of TTM-informed interventions for medication adherence in chronic conditions. PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo and CINAHL databases were searched in July 2020. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated using the Downs and Black checklist. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed for data extraction, analysis, and reporting.ResultsTen studies were included in the final data synthesis of this review. Eight of the reviewed studies supported the utility of TTM to predict or improve medication adherence in patients with chronic conditions, while two studies did not find any significant improvement in medication adherence after using a TTM-based intervention. The Downs and Black checklist revealed the overall methodological quality of the included studies to be fair [mean (SD) = 16.3 (4.5) of a possible maximum score of 28].ConclusionThis systematic review provides an overview of the utility of TTM in predicting and improving medication adherence in patients with chronic conditions. Although TTM-based interventions in patients with low or moderate medication adherence were effective, there were few studies identified, suggesting the need for further research.     

The effect of early in-hospital medication review on health outcomes: a systematic review

AimsAdverse drug events are an important cause of emergency department visits, unplanned admissions and prolonged hospital stays. Our objective was to synthesize the evidence on the effect of early in-hospital pharmacist-led medication review on patient-oriented outcomes based on observed data.MethodsWe systematically searched eight bibliographic reference databases, electronic grey literature, medical journals, conference proceedings, trial registries and bibliographies of relevant papers. We included studies that employed random or quasi-random methods to allocate subjects to pharmacist-led medication review or control. Medication review had to include, at a minimum, obtaining a best possible medication history and reviewing medications for appropriateness and adverse drug events. The intervention had to be initiated within 24 h of emergency department presentation or 72 h of admission. We extracted data in duplicate and pooled outcomes from clinically homogeneous studies of the same design using random effects meta-analysis.ResultsWe retrieved 4549 titles of which seven were included, reporting the outcomes of 3292 patients. We pooled data from studies of the same design, and found no significant differences in length of hospital admission (weighted mean difference [WMD] –0.04 days, 95% confidence interval [CI] –1.63, 1.55), mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.09, 95% CI 0.69, 1.72), readmissions (OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.81, 1.63) or emergency department revisits at 3 months (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.27, 1.32). Two large studies reporting reductions in readmissions could not be included in our pooled estimates due to differences in study design.ConclusionsWide confidence intervals suggest that additional research is likely to influence the effect size estimates and clarify the effect of medication review on patient-oriented outcomes. This systematic review failed to identify an effect of pharmacist-led medication review on health outcomes.     

Examining the use of network meta-analysis in pharmacy services research: A systematic review

ObjectivesPharmacists play an important role in supporting the health care needs of the public, and various studies have examined the impact of pharmacy services on patient care. This systematic review aimed to describe studies evaluating the impact of pharmacy services by means of network meta-analyses.Data sourcesA systematic literature review of network meta-analyses examining pharmacy services was performed on PubMed, Embase, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from database inception to November 30, 2018.Study selectionNetwork meta-analyses that examined the comparative effectiveness of pharmacy services (where pharmacists provide patient care to optimize patient outcomes) in any population, country, or setting.Data extractionData were independently extracted by 2 authors with the use of a standardized extraction form. The methodologic quality of articles was assessed with the use of the Cochrane Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews tool.ResultsTwo network meta-analysis studies were identified. The first study compared 53 randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of transitional care services among discharged patients with heart failure. The study found that pharmacist interventions such as medication reconciliation, patient education, and medication optimization had little impact on improving the all-cause mortality and readmission rate in these patients. The second report compared 43 randomized controlled trials examining the efficacy of pharmacist-based diabetes educational interventions with or without pharmaceutical care on people with type 2 diabetes. It was reported that pharmacy services were effective in reducing glycosylated hemoglobin among people with type 2 diabetes, with larger effect sizes observed when these services involved a combination of 2 or more pharmacy services.ConclusionThis study demonstrated a paucity of studies using network meta-analysis techniques in evaluating pharmacist-provided services. This could be due to the lack of confidence in using this method, because network meta-analysis requires several additional assumptions that require careful consideration while performing the analysis.     

Implementing pharmacists' medication safety recommendations is associated with reduced health care resource utilization and mortality in high-risk older Americans

BackgroundA medication safety review (MSR) is a novel, pharmacist-driven, technology-supported intervention that prioritizes adverse drug event risk mitigation. Previous research has shown that Medicare Part D beneficiaries who received MSRs in an enhanced medication therapy management (EMTM) model realized improvements in total Medicare spending, hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, and mortality compared to control. However, it is unknown whether beneficiaries implemented pharmacists’ MSR recommendations.ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to evaluate whether MSR recommendation implementation is associated with improvements in these same outcomes for Part D beneficiaries enrolled in EMTM compared to a control group.MethodsThis retrospective, pre-post, cohort study evaluated outcomes for beneficiaries who were targeted for MSR services in 2018 and 2019. The “validated implementation MSR (viMSR)” cohort included those who received their first-ever MSR in 2018, received another MSR in 2019, and validated implementation of ≥1 recommendation in their 2018 MSR. The “failed to engage” (FTE) cohort included beneficiaries who were targeted for MSR services in both 2018 and 2019 but did not engage in an MSR at any point through the end of 2019. For both cohorts, we calculated the 2018-to-2019 change for each outcome and then determined whether year-over-year changes differed significantly between cohorts. For mortality, we relaxed the requirement for continuous enrollment in 2019, permitting us to compare the proportion of beneficiaries that died in each group in 2019. Analyses were adjusted for baseline multimorbidity.ResultsOf 4384 beneficiaries who completed MSRs, 602 (13.7%) implemented ≥1 recommendation. The viMSR cohort (N = 602) outperformed the FTE cohort (N = 7052) in total Medicare costs ($2162/y lower; P = 0.020), Part A Medicare costs ($1855/y; P = 0.024), hospitalizations (9.1 fewer admissions/100 beneficiaries/y, P = 0.020), ED visits (10.8 fewer visits/100 beneficiaries/y, P = 0.014), and mortality (3.8% fewer died in 2019; P < 0.001).ConclusionImplementing pharmacists’ recommendations in MSRs was associated with improved health care resource utilization and mortality for MSR-eligible beneficiaries.     

Assessing the impact of adding pharmacist management services to an existing discharge planning program on 30-day readmissions

BackgroundAlthough hospital readmission rates are declining nationally, avoidable readmissions remain a public health concern. Effective readmission interventions are multifaceted and include discharge planning and transition-of-care coordination. Clinical pharmacists are effective contributors to these processes, bringing expertise to discharge counseling, medication reconciliation, medication adherence, and postdischarge follow-up counseling.ObjectiveWe evaluated the impact of adding health plan clinical pharmacy management services to an existing discharge program on all-cause readmissions and postdischarge primary physician visits.MethodPharmacy management services by health plan clinical pharmacists of a large regional integrated delivery system were added to an existing optimal discharge planning (ODP) program. Criteria for eligibility for these pharmacists’ services included patients who prescribed a new maintenance medication after discharge, received a therapeutic substitution, had a previous discharge within 30 days, or were taking a high-risk medication. A retrospective, observational analysis of a subgroup of patients, who received the pharmacy management services as part of ODP, was performed using a difference-in-difference model, by comparing propensity-matched discharges from February 22, 2016, to January 31, 2017 (preprogram implementation) with discharges from February 22, 2017, to January 31, 2018 (implementation period), to estimate changes in 30-day readmission rates and postdischarge primary physician visits.ResultsA total of 111 of the propensity matched received the pharmacy management services; of these, 73% (ODP) versus 64% (non-ODP) were ≥58 years, 60% were females, and 62% (ODP) versus 52% (non-ODP) were Medicare beneficiaries. There was a 16.7% (P = 0.022) statistically significant reduction in combined inpatient and observation 30-day readmissions and a 19.7% increase in 5-day postdischarge follow-up physician visits (P = 0.037) for the subgroup who also received the pharmacy management services.ConclusionAddition of pharmacist management services to an existing hospital discharge program for select at-risk patients was associated with reduced inpatient and observation 30-day readmissions.     

Effects of prevention and harm reduction interventions on gambling behaviours and gambling related harm: An umbrella review

BackgroundHarms related to gambling have been found not only to affect problem gamblers, but also to occur amongst low- and moderate-risk gamblers. This has resulted in calls for a public health approach to address a possible ‘prevention paradox’ in gambling related harm. The aim of this study was to evaluate the systematic review evidence base on the effects of prevention and harm reduction interventions on gambling behaviours, and gambling related harm. We also aimed to examine differential effects of interventions across socio-demographic groups.MethodsSystematic methods were used to locate and evaluate published systematic reviews of prevention and harm reduction interventions. We designed the review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Equity extension Guidelines. Four databases were searched from their start date until May 2018. The quality of the included articles was determined using A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews (AMSTAR 2).ResultsTen systematic reviews were identified reporting 55 unique relevant primary studies. Much of the review evidence-base related to pre-commitment and limit setting (24%), self-exclusion (20%), youth prevention programmes (20%), and machine messages/feedback (20%). The effectiveness of harm reduction interventions are limited by the extent to which users adhere to voluntary systems. Less than half of studies examining youth prevention programmes demonstrated positive effects on behaviour. No review extracted data or reported on the differential effects of intervention strategies across sociodemographic groups. The quality of the included reviews (and their primary studies) were generally poor and clear gaps in the evidence base have been highlighted.ConclusionsThe evidence base is dominated by evaluations of individual-level harm reduction interventions, with a paucity of research on supply reduction interventions. Review conclusions are limited by the quality and robustness of the primary research. Future research should consider the equity effects of intervention strategies.     

Pharmaceutical care and asthma: Protocol of an umbrella review of systematic reviews

IntroductionRecent systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest that pharmacists' interventions in asthma patients have a positive impact on health-related outcomes. Nevertheless, the association is not well established and the role of clinical pharmacists is poorly represented, as well as severe asthma patients.The aim of this overview of systematic reviews is to identify published systematic reviews assessing the impact of pharmacists' interventions on health-related outcomes measured in asthma patients, as well as to describe key components of the interventions, the outcomes assessed and any associations between pharmacists' interventions and health-related outcomes.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane Library will be searched from inception to December 2022. Systematic reviews of all study designs, severity of asthma and level of care that measured health-related outcomes will be considered. Methodological quality will be assessed using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2. Two independent investigators will perform the study selection, quality assessment and data collection, any discrepancy will be solved by a third investigator. Both narrative findings and meta-analysis of primary study data included in the systematic reviews will be synthesised. If data are appropriate for quantitative synthesis, the measures of association will be expressed as the risk ratio and difference in means.DiscussionThe first results on the establishment of a multidisciplinary network for the management of asthmatic patients have shown the benefits of integrating different levels of care in disease control and morbidity reduction. Further studies showed benefits in hospital admissions, patients' basal oral corticosteroid dose, exacerbations and quality of life of asthma patients.A systematic review is the most appropriate design in order to summarise the literature and identify the evidence of the benefits of interventions performed by clinical pharmacists in asthma patients, especially those with severe uncontrolled asthma, and encourage future studies to stablish the role of clinical pharmacists in asthma units.Registration detailsSystematic review registration number: CRD42022372100.     

Association between asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome and healthcare utilization among the US adult population

Objectives: Asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap (ACO) is a recently described phenomenon defined as the coexistence of both asthma and COPD. Both asthma and COPD are known to result in increased emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations, but it is unclear how the ACO population utilizes these same healthcare resources. The objective of this study was to compare healthcare utilization in the ACO population versus the general population, the asthma population and the COPD population.

Methods: We conducted a pooled cross-sectional statistical analysis using the 2012–2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data. We focused on adults 18 years of age and older and excluded pregnant women. We employed an adjusted logit regression model, where the primary outcomes were dichotomous indicators on healthcare utilizations including ED visits and hospital stays. A key covariate was a four-category variable: 1) no asthma or COPD; 2) asthma only; 3) COPD only; and 4) ACO. Other covariates included age, sex, race, education level, marital status, household income level, medical insurance status, smoking status, body mass index (BMI) category, region, year and comorbidities (cancer, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease and ulcer).

Results: Adults with ACO were 134%, 53% and 21% more likely to have ED visits than the general population, asthma group and COPD group, respectively. For hospital stay, the ACO group was 120% and 86% more likely to be hospitalized than the general population and the asthma group respectively. In addition, adults with ACO were 61% and 130% more likely to have asthma exacerbations and asthma-related ED visits than the asthma group.

Conclusions: ACO is a considerable risk factor for healthcare utilization versus the general population, the asthma population and the COPD population. Future focus should be placed on the ACO population to identify ways to reduce their healthcare utilization.     

[Artículo traducido] Atención farmacéutica y asma: protocolo de una revisión de revisiones sistemáticas

IntroductionRecent systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest that pharmacists' interventions in asthma patients have a positive impact on health-related outcomes. Nevertheless, the association is not well established and the role of clinical pharmacists is poorly represented, as well as severe asthma patients.The aim of this overview of systematic reviews is to identify published systematic reviews assessing the impact of pharmacists' interventions on health-related outcomes measured in asthma patients, as well as to describe key components of the interventions, the outcomes assessed and any associations between pharmacists' interventions and health-related outcomes.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane Library will be searched from inception to December 2022. Systematic reviews of all study designs, severity of asthma and level of care that measured health-related outcomes will be considered. Methodological quality will be assessed using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2. Two independent investigators will perform the study selection, quality assessment and data collection, any discrepancy will be solved by a third investigator. Both narrative findings and meta-analysis of primary study data included in the systematic reviews will be synthesized. If data are appropriate for quantitative synthesis, the measures of association will be expressed as the risk ratio and difference in means.DiscussionThe first results on the establishment of a multidisciplinary network for the management of asthmatic patients have shown the benefits of integrating different levels of care in disease control and morbidity reduction. Further studies showed benefits in hospital admissions, patients' basal oral corticosteroid dose, exacerbations and quality of life of asthma patients.A systematic review is the most appropriate design in order to summarize the literature and identify the evidence of the benefits of interventions performed by clinical pharmacists in asthma patients, especially those with severe uncontrolled asthma, and encourage future studies to stablish the role of clinical pharmacists in asthma units.Registration detailsSystematic review registration number: CRD42022372100.     

Patient outcomes from implementing an enhanced services pharmacy network

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of implementing a network of community pharmacies on medication adherence, health service utilization, and health care spending.DesignQuasi-experimental difference-in-difference analysis with a nonequivalent control group.Setting and participantsEligible Medicaid-enrolled patients in North Carolina were attributed to intervention pharmacies between March 2015 and December 2016. A control group was propensity score-matched. Interventions consisted of enhanced services and a more intensive, comprehensive initial pharmacy assessment (CIPA).Outcome measuresOutcomes included hospitalizations; emergency department (ED) visits; health care spending for total medical, inpatient, outpatient, and ED services; and adherence to renin-angiotensin system antagonists (RASA), statins, noninsulin diabetes medications (NIDM), and multiple medications for chronic conditions (MMCC).ResultsThere were 31,509 patients who met eligibility criteria and were attributed to a participating pharmacy. Of these, 3897 received a CIPA. Before matching, patients attributed to participating pharmacies had greater Medicaid enrollment through aged, blind, or disabled status (49.2% vs. 31.5%, P < 0.001); greater case management (10.3% vs. 7%, P < 0.001); and worse rates of chronic disease (P < 0.001). Successful matching removed these differences. Adherence to RASA medications and MMCC increased by 9.5% and 10.3% (P < 0.05), respectively. Adherence did not change for statins and NIDM. The analysis also revealed a slower decline in average total medical spending of 5.7% (P < 0.01) relative to the control group over the same period, owed to a 9.6% (P < 0.001) slower decline in outpatient spending. ED utilization also decreased more slowly relative to controls by 4.8% (P < 0.05) following the intervention.ConclusionThe pharmacy intervention resulted in a statistically significant improvement in medication adherence to RASA and multiple chronic medications, but did not change or may have worsened utilization and spending outcomes. More research is needed to explore patient selection and variation in implementation and heterogeneity of treatment effects when evaluating pharmacy interventions.