Effect of Multi-Dose Dispensing on Medication Regimen Complexity: A Real-World Study

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Pharmacy
• Medication Management
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Older adults often face complex medication regimens, increasing the need for dosing aids like multi-dose medication dispensing (MMD).
• Limited studies have evaluated the effectiveness of MMD in managing medication regimen complexity (MRC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of MMD on medication regimen complexity in older patients.
• To evaluate the efficacy of MMD using the Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI) in a Korean hospital setting.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 1120 patients discharged between January and March 2019.
• Quantified MRC using the MRCI-K score, comparing pre-MMD and post-MMD scores across different hospital wards.
• Analyzed MMD's effect based on patient admission diagnosis and MRCI score quartiles.

Main Results:

• The mean MRCI-K score decreased significantly from 26.2 to 18.9 after implementing MMD.
• The most substantial reduction in MRCI scores was observed in the Orthopedic Surgery ward and among patients in the highest MRCI quartile.
• Patients with respiratory diseases had the highest baseline scores, while ENT patients showed the greatest MRC reduction post-MMD.

Conclusions:

• MMD effectively reduces medication regimen complexity, as evidenced by significant decreases in MRCI-K scores.
• Pharmacist-led services are crucial for identifying patients who would benefit most from MMD interventions.