TY - JOUR
T1 - Residential Aged Care Pharmacist
T2 - An Australian Pilot Trial Exploring the Impact on Quality Use of Medicines Indicators
AU - McDerby, Nicole
AU - Kosari, Sam
AU - Bail, Kasia
AU - Shield, Alison
AU - Peterson, Gregory
AU - Naunton, Mark
PY - 2020/4/20
Y1 - 2020/4/20
N2 - BACKGROUND: This pilot study aimed to assess whether an on-site pharmacist could influence indicators of quality use of medicines in residential aged care. Methods: A pharmacist was embedded in a residential aged care home for six months. A similar control site received usual care. Polypharmacy, drug burden index, antipsychotic and benzodiazepine use, hospital admission rates and length of stay, and emergency department presentation rates were outcomes used to indicate medication use quality. Data were extracted from participating resident health records. Results: Fifty-eight residents at the study site and 39 residents at the control site were included in the analysis. There was a reduction in the proportion of residents at the study site who had at least one hospital admission at follow-up (28% to 12%, p < 0.01), but no significant difference in other outcomes. Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that a residential care pharmacist may positively influence indicators of medication use quality in aged care; however, further research is needed to expand on these findings.
AB - BACKGROUND: This pilot study aimed to assess whether an on-site pharmacist could influence indicators of quality use of medicines in residential aged care. Methods: A pharmacist was embedded in a residential aged care home for six months. A similar control site received usual care. Polypharmacy, drug burden index, antipsychotic and benzodiazepine use, hospital admission rates and length of stay, and emergency department presentation rates were outcomes used to indicate medication use quality. Data were extracted from participating resident health records. Results: Fifty-eight residents at the study site and 39 residents at the control site were included in the analysis. There was a reduction in the proportion of residents at the study site who had at least one hospital admission at follow-up (28% to 12%, p < 0.01), but no significant difference in other outcomes. Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that a residential care pharmacist may positively influence indicators of medication use quality in aged care; however, further research is needed to expand on these findings.
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/f539503d-2ff5-30c8-934f-0a2281c628bb/
U2 - 10.3390/medicines7040020
DO - 10.3390/medicines7040020
M3 - Article
C2 - 32326013
SN - 2305-6320
VL - 7
SP - 1
EP - 7
JO - Medicines (Basel, Switzerland)
JF - Medicines (Basel, Switzerland)
IS - 4
ER -