Marine Neeman1, Maria Dobrinas1, Sophie Maurer2, Damien Tagan3, Annelore Sautebin3, Anne-Laure Blanc4, Nicolas Widmer5. 1. Pharmacie des Hôpitaux de l'Est Lémanique (PHEL), Vevey, Switzerland. 2. Pharmacie des Hôpitaux de l'Est Lémanique (PHEL), Vevey, Switzerland; Pharmacie du Marché, Vevey, Switzerland. 3. Hôpital Riviera-Chablais, Vaud-Valais (HRC), Vevey, Switzerland. 4. Pharmacie des Hôpitaux de l'Est Lémanique (PHEL), Vevey, Switzerland. Electronic address: annelaure.blanc@phel.ch. 5. Pharmacie des Hôpitaux de l'Est Lémanique (PHEL), Vevey, Switzerland; Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Continuity of care between hospitals and community pharmacies needs to be improved to ensure medication safety. This study aimed to evaluate whether a set of pharmaceutical interventions to prepare hospital discharge facilitates the transition of care. METHODS: This study took place in the internal medicine ward and in surrounding community pharmacies. The intervention group's patients underwent a set of pharmaceutical interventions during their hospital stay: medication reconciliation at admission, medication review, and discharge planning. The two groups were compared with regards to: number of community pharmacist interventions, time spent on discharge prescriptions, and number of treatment changes. RESULTS: Comparison between the groups showed a much lower (77% lower) number of community pharmacist interventions per discharge prescription in the intervention (n=54 patients) compared to the control group (n=64 patients): 6.9 versus 1.6 interventions, respectively (p<0.0001); less time working on discharge prescriptions; less interventions requiring a telephone call to a hospital physician. The number of medication changes at different steps was also significantly lower in the intervention group: 40% fewer (p<0.0001) changes between hospital admission and discharge, 66% fewer (p<0.0001) between hospital discharge and community pharmacy care, and 25% fewer (p=0.002) between community pharmacy care and care by a general practitioner. CONCLUSION: An intervention group underwent significantly fewer medication changes in subsequent steps in the transition of care after a set of interventions performed during their hospital stay. Community pharmacists had to perform fewer interventions on discharge prescriptions. Altogether, this improves continuity of care.
BACKGROUND: Continuity of care between hospitals and community pharmacies needs to be improved to ensure medication safety. This study aimed to evaluate whether a set of pharmaceutical interventions to prepare hospital discharge facilitates the transition of care. METHODS: This study took place in the internal medicine ward and in surrounding community pharmacies. The intervention group's patients underwent a set of pharmaceutical interventions during their hospital stay: medication reconciliation at admission, medication review, and discharge planning. The two groups were compared with regards to: number of community pharmacist interventions, time spent on discharge prescriptions, and number of treatment changes. RESULTS: Comparison between the groups showed a much lower (77% lower) number of community pharmacist interventions per discharge prescription in the intervention (n=54 patients) compared to the control group (n=64 patients): 6.9 versus 1.6 interventions, respectively (p<0.0001); less time working on discharge prescriptions; less interventions requiring a telephone call to a hospital physician. The number of medication changes at different steps was also significantly lower in the intervention group: 40% fewer (p<0.0001) changes between hospital admission and discharge, 66% fewer (p<0.0001) between hospital discharge and community pharmacy care, and 25% fewer (p=0.002) between community pharmacy care and care by a general practitioner. CONCLUSION: An intervention group underwent significantly fewer medication changes in subsequent steps in the transition of care after a set of interventions performed during their hospital stay. Community pharmacists had to perform fewer interventions on discharge prescriptions. Altogether, this improves continuity of care.
Authors: Maria Dobrinas-Bonazzi; Nicolas Widmer; Sophie Grandchamp; Anne-Laure Blanc; Marine Roussel; Damien Tagan; Annelore Sautebin Journal: Drugs Real World Outcomes Date: 2021-12-31
Authors: Laura V J Lech; Gitte R Husted; Anna Birna Almarsdottír; Trine R H Andersen; Charlotte Rossing; Lotte S Nørgaard Journal: Innov Pharm Date: 2020-07-31