STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine if clinical pharmacists could affect economic resource use and humanistic outcomes in an ambulatory, high-risk population. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled study. SETTING:Nine Veterans Affairs medical centers. PATIENTS: Patients who were at high risk for medication-related problems. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomized to usual medical care with input from a clinical pharmacist (intervention group) or just usual medical care (control group). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 1,054 patients enrolled, 523 were randomized to the intervention group and 531 to the control group. The number of clinic visits increased in the intervention group (p=0.003), but there was no difference in clinic costs. Mean increases in total health care costs were $1,020 for the intervention group and $1,313 for the control group (p=0.06). CONCLUSION: Including the cost of pharmacist interventions, overall health care expenditures were similar for patients randomized to see a clinical pharmacist versus usual medical care.
RCT Entities:
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine if clinical pharmacists could affect economic resource use and humanistic outcomes in an ambulatory, high-risk population. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled study. SETTING: Nine Veterans Affairs medical centers. PATIENTS: Patients who were at high risk for medication-related problems. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomized to usual medical care with input from a clinical pharmacist (intervention group) or just usual medical care (control group). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 1,054 patients enrolled, 523 were randomized to the intervention group and 531 to the control group. The number of clinic visits increased in the intervention group (p=0.003), but there was no difference in clinic costs. Mean increases in total health care costs were $1,020 for the intervention group and $1,313 for the control group (p=0.06). CONCLUSION: Including the cost of pharmacist interventions, overall health care expenditures were similar for patients randomized to see a clinical pharmacist versus usual medical care.
Authors: Barry L Carter; William Clarke; Gail Ardery; Cynthia A Weber; Paul A James; Mark Vander Weg; Elizabeth A Chrischilles; Thomas Vaughn; Brent M Egan Journal: Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes Date: 2010-07
Authors: Barry L Carter; Karen B Farris; Paul W Abramowitz; David B Weetman; Peter J Kaboli; Jeffrey D Dawson; Paul A James; Alan J Christensen; John M Brooks Journal: Am J Health Syst Pharm Date: 2008-09-01 Impact factor: 2.637