Background: A significant percentage of hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge are a result of avoidable drug-related problems. Stratifying patients according to readmission risk is key to pharmaceutical intervention (PI) design strategies to improve treatment outcomes. Objective: To assess whether a pharmaceutical care (PC) program at discharge in polymedicated patients at high potentially avoidable readmission (PAR) risk, according to the HOSPITAL score, improves 30-day readmission rate (30-dRR). Methods: This prospective controlled, quasi-experimental, 11-month study included 163 chronic polymedicated patients (>5 medications) at high PAR risk according to the HOSPITAL score. We calculated the 30-dRR and number of medication variations and Medication Regimen Complexity Index-E (MRCI-E) after PI. Results were compared with a retrospective cohort of chronic patients at high PAR risk. Results: The 30-dRR was 18.4% in the intervention group and 25.6% in the control group (odds ratio [OR] = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.38 to 1.14). Total medication reduction (-1.28; 95% CI = -1.88 to -0.68), number of high-risk medications in chronic patients (-0.58; 95% CI = -0.9 to -0.26), and MRCI-E (-6.42; 95% CI = -8.07 to -4.76) were statistically significant (P < .001). The number of medications at discharge was associated with an increased readmission risk (OR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.14). Conclusions: The degree of polypharmacy and patients' treatment complexity after hospital discharge significantly reduced as a result of the PC program compared with the control group. This highlights the need for patient selection and prioritization strategies for implementing PIs focused on reducing polypharmacy and preventing drug-related problems that may cause PAR.
Background: A significant percentage of hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge are a result of avoidable drug-related problems. Stratifying patients according to readmission risk is key to pharmaceutical intervention (PI) design strategies to improve treatment outcomes. Objective: To assess whether a pharmaceutical care (PC) program at discharge in polymedicated patients at high potentially avoidable readmission (PAR) risk, according to the HOSPITAL score, improves 30-day readmission rate (30-dRR). Methods: This prospective controlled, quasi-experimental, 11-month study included 163 chronic polymedicated patients (>5 medications) at high PAR risk according to the HOSPITAL score. We calculated the 30-dRR and number of medication variations and Medication Regimen Complexity Index-E (MRCI-E) after PI. Results were compared with a retrospective cohort of chronic patients at high PAR risk. Results: The 30-dRR was 18.4% in the intervention group and 25.6% in the control group (odds ratio [OR] = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.38 to 1.14). Total medication reduction (-1.28; 95% CI = -1.88 to -0.68), number of high-risk medications in chronic patients (-0.58; 95% CI = -0.9 to -0.26), and MRCI-E (-6.42; 95% CI = -8.07 to -4.76) were statistically significant (P < .001). The number of medications at discharge was associated with an increased readmission risk (OR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.14). Conclusions: The degree of polypharmacy and patients' treatment complexity after hospital discharge significantly reduced as a result of the PC program compared with the control group. This highlights the need for patient selection and prioritization strategies for implementing PIs focused on reducing polypharmacy and preventing drug-related problems that may cause PAR.
Authors: Claire R Rodrigues; Amanda R Harrington; Nicole Murdock; John T Holmes; Eliza Z Borzadek; Kristin Calabro; Jennifer Martin; Marion K Slack Journal: Ann Pharmacother Date: 2017-06-09 Impact factor: 3.154
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Authors: M Shawn McFarland; Ashley M Thomas; Emily Young; Candace Bryant; Jonathan C Hughes; Joy Hoffman; Jennifer W Baker Journal: J Manag Care Spec Pharm Date: 2020-04