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Age and Ageing Advance Access published online on March 26, 2007
Age and Ageing, doi:10.1093/ageing/afm036
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Copyright © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.

Article

Home-based medication review in a high risk elderly population in primary care—the POLYMED randomised controlled trial

Elizabeth Lenaghan1,, Richard Holland1 and Alison Brooks2

1 School of Medicine, Health Policy & Practice, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
2 Holt Medical Practice, Kelling Hospital, Old Cromer Road, Holt, Norfolk NR25 6QA, UK

Address correspondence to: E. A. Lenaghan. Tel: +44(0)1603 591694; Fax: +44(0)1603 593568. Email: e.lenaghan{at}uea.ac.uk

Objective: to assess whether home-based medication review by a pharmacist for at-risk older patients in a primary care setting can reduce hospital admissions.

Design: randomised controlled trial comparing home-based medication review with standard care.

Setting: home-based medication review of 136 patients registered with one general practice.

Method: study participants were over 80 years of age, living at home, taking four or more medicines, and had at least oneadditionalmedicines-related risk factor. The intervention comprised two home visits by a community pharmacist who educated the patient/carer about their medicines, noted any pharmaceutical care issues, assessed need for an adherence aid, and subsequently met with the lead GP to agree on actions.

Main outcome measure: total non-elective hospital admissions within 6 months. Secondary outcomes included number of deaths, care home admissions and quality of life (EQ-5d). Impact on number of medicines prescribed was also assessed.

Results: at 6 months, no difference in hospital admissions (21 intervention versus 20 control P = 0.80), and no difference in care home admissions or deaths were detected between groups. There was a small (non-significant) decrease in quality of life in the intervention group. There was a statistically significant reduction in the mean number of medicines prescribed ( –0.87 items in favour of the intervention group, 95% confidence interval –1.66 to –0.08, P = 0.03).

Conclusions: no positive impact on clinical outcomes or quality of life was demonstrated, however, this intervention did appear to reduce prescribing. This is in line with other evidence and suggests that this form of intervention may not have a clear health gain, but may lead to modest savings in terms of reduced prescribing. Future research should focus on whether such a prescribing effect would make this type of intervention cost effective.

Keywords: aged, 80 years and over, community pharmacy service, drug utilisation review, polypharmacy, primary health care, elderly

Received 10 August 2006; accepted in revised form 29 December 2006.


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