Drug-related problems in general practice: results from a development project in Denmark

Area of Science:

• Clinical Pharmacy
• Primary Care Medicine
• Medication Management

Background:

• Primary care settings face challenges in identifying and managing drug-related problems (DRPs) and quality issues in patient medication.
• Pharmacist-led medication reviews can enhance patient safety and optimize therapeutic outcomes.
• Effective collaboration between pharmacists and General Practitioners (GPs) is crucial for implementing recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and document DRPs and quality problems in primary care via a pharmacist-run medication review service.
• To evaluate GPs' acceptance and implementation rates of pharmacist recommendations.
• To assess the feasibility of integrating pharmacist services into primary care.

Main Methods:

• A community pharmacist provided a medication review and screening service for 18 months in a GP practice.
• The pharmacist worked 20 hours per week, conducting medication reviews and screening medical records.
• Data collected included identified DRPs, quality problems, and GP acceptance/implementation rates of recommendations.

Main Results:

• The pharmacist identified 103 DRPs across 40 medication reviews, with 83% acceptance and 77% implementation of recommendations by GPs.
• Screening of 6094 medical records revealed 765 potential quality problems.
• High acceptance (86%) and implementation (63%) rates were observed for recommendations to initiate low-dose aspirin; for statin initiation, acceptance was 76% and implementation 56%.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacist-led medication reviews effectively identify DRPs and quality issues in primary care.
• GPs demonstrated high acceptance and implementation of pharmacist recommendations, indicating successful collaboration.
• The study confirms the feasibility of implementing pharmacist services and fostering a collaborative relationship within primary care settings.