Chang-Ming Chen1, Li-Na Kuo1, Kuei-Ju Cheng1, Wan-Chen Shen1, Kuan-Jen Bai2, Chih-Chi Wang3, Yi-Chun Chiang1, Hsiang-Yin Chen4. 1. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan. 2. Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. 3. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Statistics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. 4. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: shawn@tmu.edu.tw.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study evaluated a medication therapy management service using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Administration's PharmaCloud system in a medical center in Taiwan. The new PharmaCloud System, launched in 2013, links a complete list of prescribed and dispensed medication from different hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies for all insured patients. METHOD: The study included patients with polypharmacy (≥5 drugs) at a medication therapy management service from March 2013 to March 2014. A structured questionnaire was designed to collect patients' baseline data and record patients' knowledge, attitudes, and practice scores before and after the service intervention. Phone follow-ups for practice and adherence scores on medication use were performed after 3 months. RESULTS: There were 152 patients recruited in the study. Scores for medication use attitudes and practice significantly increased after the service (attitudes: 40.06 ± 0.26 to 43.07 ± 0.19, p <0.001; practice: 33.42 ± 0.30 to 40.37 ± 0.30, p <0.001). The scores for medication adherence also increased from 3.02 ± 0.07 to 3.92 ± 0.02 (p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The PharmaCloud system facilitates accurate and efficient medication reconciliation for pharmacists in the medication therapy management service. The model improved patients' attitudes and practice of the rational use of medications and adherence with medications. Further studies are warranted to evaluate human resources, executing costs, and the cost-benefit ratio of this medication therapy management service with the PharmaCloud system.
BACKGROUND: This study evaluated a medication therapy management service using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Administration's PharmaCloud system in a medical center in Taiwan. The new PharmaCloud System, launched in 2013, links a complete list of prescribed and dispensed medication from different hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies for all insured patients. METHOD: The study included patients with polypharmacy (≥5 drugs) at a medication therapy management service from March 2013 to March 2014. A structured questionnaire was designed to collect patients' baseline data and record patients' knowledge, attitudes, and practice scores before and after the service intervention. Phone follow-ups for practice and adherence scores on medication use were performed after 3 months. RESULTS: There were 152 patients recruited in the study. Scores for medication use attitudes and practice significantly increased after the service (attitudes: 40.06 ± 0.26 to 43.07 ± 0.19, p <0.001; practice: 33.42 ± 0.30 to 40.37 ± 0.30, p <0.001). The scores for medication adherence also increased from 3.02 ± 0.07 to 3.92 ± 0.02 (p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The PharmaCloud system facilitates accurate and efficient medication reconciliation for pharmacists in the medication therapy management service. The model improved patients' attitudes and practice of the rational use of medications and adherence with medications. Further studies are warranted to evaluate human resources, executing costs, and the cost-benefit ratio of this medication therapy management service with the PharmaCloud system.
Authors: Marina Kawaguchi-Suzuki; Miranda G Law; Jennifer Prisco; Kathleen Head; Lei Fu; Tetsuro Yumoto; Junzo Kamei; Mihi Yang; Kuei-Ju Cheng; Michael D Hogue Journal: Am J Pharm Educ Date: 2019-05 Impact factor: 2.047