Pharmacist-Directed Transition of Care Services Decrease Readmissions at a Safety-Net Hospital

Limited data exist describing the influence of pharmacist-led transition of care (TOC) services in safety-net hospital settings.

This analysis assessed the impact of pharmacist-led TOC services on hospital readmissions in a high-risk managed Medicaid population impacted by housing instability, substance use disorder (SUD), and mental health issues.

A retrospective evaluation of patients who received safety-net hospital-based TOC pharmacy services between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, was conducted. Patients 18 years and older, insured by a select managed Medicaid plan, and admitted to an inpatient medicine service were included. Patients were excluded if they were admitted from or discharged to a facility or hospice, discharged before medically ready, or died within 30 days of discharge. Interventions included an initial visit, discharge medication delivery and education, and a post-discharge follow-up phone call within 24 to 72 hours. Patients were provided with a number to call for medication-related questions post-discharge. The primary outcome was 30-day hospital readmissions. Secondary outcomes included time to and reason for readmission and a description of TOC services.

There were 292 patients engaged in pharmacist-led TOC services. Nearly 1 in 6 patients were experiencing homelessness and almost 40% were struggling with SUD during the index admission. The median readmission performance in the target population 6 months prior to TOC service implementation was 20.2% and fell to 12.3% post-intervention. Substance use disorder was the leading contributor to re-hospitalization, accounting for 58% of readmissions. Six (16.7%) readmissions were medication-related; 5 of 6 were complicated by SUD. There were no preventable medication-related readmissions. There are limitations to this study; not all patients received all TOC program components. Prospective, randomized-controlled studies are needed to show cause and effect.

This evaluation suggests pharmacist-led TOC discharge services may lead to hospital readmission reduction in a socially complex managed Medicaid population in a safety-net hospital setting.