B Bereznicki1, G Peterson, S Jackson, E H Walters, P Gee. 1. Unit for Medication Outcomes Research and Education, School of Pharmacy, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Bonnie.Bereznicki@utas.edu.au
Abstract
WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: A previously published asthma intervention used a software application to data mine pharmacy dispensing records and generate a list of patients with potentially suboptimal management of their asthma; in particular, a high rate of provision of reliever medication. These patients were sent educational material from their community pharmacists and advised to seek a review of their asthma management from their general practitioner. The intervention resulted in a 3-fold improvement in the ratio of dispensed preventer medication (inhaled corticosteroids) to reliever medication (short-acting beta-2 agonists). This follow-up study aimed to determine the long-term effects of the intervention programme on the preventer-to-reliever (P:R) ratio. METHODS: The same data mining software was modified so that it could re-identify patients who were originally targeted for the intervention. Community pharmacists who participated in the previous intervention installed the modified version of the software. The dispensing data were then de-identified, encrypted and transferred via the Internet to a secure server. The follow-up dispensing data for all patients were compared with their pre- and post-intervention data collected originally. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Of the 1551 patients who were included in the original study, 718 (46·3%) were eligible to be included in the follow-up study. The improved P:R ratio was sustained for at least 12 months following the intervention (P < 0·01). The sustained increase in the P:R ratio was attributed to significant decreases in the average daily usage of reliever medication (P < 0·0001). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: The follow-up study demonstrated a sustained improvement in the ratio of dispensed preventer medication to reliever medication for asthma. The intervention has the potential to show long-lasting and widespread improvements in asthma management, improved health outcomes for patients, and ultimately, a reduced burden on the health system.
WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: A previously published asthma intervention used a software application to data mine pharmacy dispensing records and generate a list of patients with potentially suboptimal management of their asthma; in particular, a high rate of provision of reliever medication. These patients were sent educational material from their community pharmacists and advised to seek a review of their asthma management from their general practitioner. The intervention resulted in a 3-fold improvement in the ratio of dispensed preventer medication (inhaled corticosteroids) to reliever medication (short-acting beta-2 agonists). This follow-up study aimed to determine the long-term effects of the intervention programme on the preventer-to-reliever (P:R) ratio. METHODS: The same data mining software was modified so that it could re-identify patients who were originally targeted for the intervention. Community pharmacists who participated in the previous intervention installed the modified version of the software. The dispensing data were then de-identified, encrypted and transferred via the Internet to a secure server. The follow-up dispensing data for all patients were compared with their pre- and post-intervention data collected originally. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Of the 1551 patients who were included in the original study, 718 (46·3%) were eligible to be included in the follow-up study. The improved P:R ratio was sustained for at least 12 months following the intervention (P < 0·01). The sustained increase in the P:R ratio was attributed to significant decreases in the average daily usage of reliever medication (P < 0·0001). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: The follow-up study demonstrated a sustained improvement in the ratio of dispensed preventer medication to reliever medication for asthma. The intervention has the potential to show long-lasting and widespread improvements in asthma management, improved health outcomes for patients, and ultimately, a reduced burden on the health system.
Authors: Tyler H Gums; Barry L Carter; Gary Milavetz; Lucinda Buys; Kurt Rosenkrans; Liz Uribe; Christopher Coffey; Eric J MacLaughlin; Rodney B Young; Adrienne Z Ables; Nima Patel-Shori; Angela Wisniewski Journal: Pharmacotherapy Date: 2014-08-20 Impact factor: 4.705
Authors: Barbara P Yawn; Peter C Wollan; Matthew A Rank; Susan L Bertram; Young Juhn; Wilson Pace Journal: Ann Fam Med Date: 2018-03 Impact factor: 5.166
Authors: Liz Steed; Ratna Sohanpal; Adam Todd; Vichithranie W Madurasinghe; Carol Rivas; Elizabeth A Edwards; Carolyn D Summerbell; Stephanie Jc Taylor; R T Walton Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2019-12-06