Study of pharmacist intervention in polypharmacy among older patients: Non‐randomized, controlled trial

• Published in: Geriatrics & gerontology international 2020-03, Vol.20 (3), p.229-237
• Main Authors: Hashimoto, Ryota, Fujii, Keiko, Shimoji, Shizuka, Utsumi, Atsuyuki, Hosokawa, Kazutaka, Tochino, Hiroki, Sanehisa, Shigeki, Akishita, Masahiro, Onda, Mitsuko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: community pharmacy; Drug therapy; elderly; Intervention; Nursing homes; pharmaceutical services; pharmacist; Pharmacists; Polypharmacy
• ISSN: 1444-1586; 1447-0594
• DOI: 10.1111/ggi.13850

Aim We investigated the outcomes of interdisciplinary drug therapy interventions by pharmacists among older residents of special elderly nursing homes. Methods The study was designed as a non‐randomized, parallel‐group, controlled study. Four nursing homes were allocated in a 1:1 ratio to an intervention group (IG) or control group (CG). The participants of the study were residents taking five or more medications. The nursing homes in the IG were each visited by one pharmacist, who was charged with looking for potential problems in drug therapy. Activities in the CG were carried out as usual. The intervention period was 6 months. The primary end‐points were the incidences of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) and falls. The mean difference and proportion of participants were compared between groups. Results Data from 28 participants in the IG and 27 participants in the CG were analyzed. The number of PIM decreased from 2.64 at baseline to 2.39 after 6 months in the IG (P = 0.032). The proportion of participants in whom the use of PIM was reduced without problems was 17.9% in the IG and 3.7% in the CG (P = 0.094). The mean number of falls was 0.04 in the IG and 0.41 in the CG (P = 0.033). Falls occurred in 3.6% of participants in the IG and 22.2% of participants in the CG (P = 0.043). Conclusions The results suggested a trend toward fewer PIM and falls in the IG. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; ••: ••–••.