Retrospective evaluation of home medicines review by pharmacists in older australian patients using the medication appropriateness index

Castelino, RL; Bajorek, BV; Chen, TF

Retrospective evaluation of home medicines review by pharmacists in older australian patients using the medication appropriateness index

Castelino, RL Bajorek, BV

Chen, TF

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 2010, 44 (12), pp. 1922 - 1929
Issue Date:: 2010-12-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Castelino, RL	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Bajorek, BV https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2532-7187	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Chen, TF	en_US
dc.date.issued	2010-12-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 2010, 44 (12), pp. 1922 - 1929	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1060-0280	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/16926
dc.description.abstract	BACKGROUND: Home Medicines Review (HMR), a community-based collaborative service provided by general practitioners (GPs) and accredited pharmacists in Australia, has demonstrated effectiveness in preventing, detecting, and resolving medication-related problems. The Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI) has been found to be a reliable, valid, standardized instrument for assessment of multiple elements of drug therapy prescribing. OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate the impact of HMRs on the appropriateness of prescribing, using the MAI as a tool to categorize pharmacists' recommendations. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on a sample of 270 HMR cases pertaining to community-dwelling older people (≥65 years) in New South Wales, Australia. The HMRs were collected from 7 accredited pharmacists using purposive sampling. All HMRs were conducted between February 2006 and October 2009. MAI scores were retrospectively calculated at baseline, after the HMR service based on the pharmacist's recommendations to the GP, and following uptake of the pharmacist's recommendations by the GP. RESULTS: The mean ± SD age of the patients was 75.3 ± 7.4 years and 55% were female. Overall, almost all (99%; n = 267) patients had at least 1 inappropriate rating at baseline and more than 50% (n = 154) of the patients had a cumulative MAI score >15. The mean MAI score at baseline was 18.6 ± 11.3, which decreased to 9.3 ± 7.5 after HMR. The number of patients with a cumulative MAI score ≥15 increased to 216 after the HMR service, compared to 116 at baseline. Pharmacists' recommendations documented in the HMR reports and uptake of these recommendations by the GP resulted in a statistically significant decrease in the MAI scores (both p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates that the provision of medication reviews by accredited pharmacists can improve the appropriateness of prescribing as demonstrated by the change in MAI score and, hence, has the potential to improve patient outcomes. Pharmacists who perform medication reviews could also consider including the systematic approach of applying the MAI to assist in optimizing prescribing in older people.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Annals of Pharmacotherapy	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1345/aph.1P373	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Pharmacology & Pharmacy	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Cross-Sectional Studies	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Professional Role	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Aged	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Community Pharmacy Services	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Drug Utilization Review	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Guideline Adherence	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care)	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Australia	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Male	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care	en_US
dc.title	Retrospective evaluation of home medicines review by pharmacists in older australian patients using the medication appropriateness index	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	12	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	44	en_US
utslib.for	1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Graduate School of Health
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	12	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	44	en_US

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Home Medicines Review (HMR), a community-based collaborative service provided by general practitioners (GPs) and accredited pharmacists in Australia, has demonstrated effectiveness in preventing, detecting, and resolving medication-related problems. The Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI) has been found to be a reliable, valid, standardized instrument for assessment of multiple elements of drug therapy prescribing. OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate the impact of HMRs on the appropriateness of prescribing, using the MAI as a tool to categorize pharmacists' recommendations. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on a sample of 270 HMR cases pertaining to community-dwelling older people (≥65 years) in New South Wales, Australia. The HMRs were collected from 7 accredited pharmacists using purposive sampling. All HMRs were conducted between February 2006 and October 2009. MAI scores were retrospectively calculated at baseline, after the HMR service based on the pharmacist's recommendations to the GP, and following uptake of the pharmacist's recommendations by the GP. RESULTS: The mean ± SD age of the patients was 75.3 ± 7.4 years and 55% were female. Overall, almost all (99%; n = 267) patients had at least 1 inappropriate rating at baseline and more than 50% (n = 154) of the patients had a cumulative MAI score >15. The mean MAI score at baseline was 18.6 ± 11.3, which decreased to 9.3 ± 7.5 after HMR. The number of patients with a cumulative MAI score ≥15 increased to 216 after the HMR service, compared to 116 at baseline. Pharmacists' recommendations documented in the HMR reports and uptake of these recommendations by the GP resulted in a statistically significant decrease in the MAI scores (both p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates that the provision of medication reviews by accredited pharmacists can improve the appropriateness of prescribing as demonstrated by the change in MAI score and, hence, has the potential to improve patient outcomes. Pharmacists who perform medication reviews could also consider including the systematic approach of applying the MAI to assist in optimizing prescribing in older people.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/16926