A Study to Identify Medication-Related Problems and Associated Cost Avoidance by Community Pharmacists during a...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Health Services Research
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Transitions of care are critical periods for medication management.
• Medication discrepancies and medication-related problems (MRPs) are common after hospital discharge.
• Community pharmacy services can play a vital role in optimizing medication use during care transitions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify medication discrepancies and MRPs identified through community pharmacy-based comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs) post-hospital discharge.
• To assess the resolution of identified issues.
• To estimate the cost-avoidance value of this transitions of care service.

Main Methods:

• Community pharmacists conducted CMRs for patients discharged from the hospital.
• Medication discrepancies were identified by comparing discharge records, pharmacy profiles, and patient self-reports.
• MRPs were categorized using the OutcomesMTM® Encounter Worksheet, and interventions were classified by severity.

Main Results:

• Nineteen patients received CMRs, resulting in the identification of 81 medication discrepancies and 34 MRPs (average 4.3 discrepancies and 1.8 MRPs per patient).
• The most frequent MRP was medication underuse (70.6%).
• Significant correlations were found between the number of scheduled medications and both discrepancies and MRPs.
• The service avoided four emergency room visits and three hospitalizations, with an estimated cost avoidance of $4850 per patient ($92,143 total).

Conclusions:

• Community pharmacy-based transitions of care CMR services are effective in identifying and resolving medication discrepancies and MRPs.
• This service helps prevent adverse health outcomes and associated patient care costs.
• The findings support the integration of community pharmacy services into transitions of care to improve patient safety and reduce healthcare expenditures.