Effects of pharmaceutical care on appropriateness of medication prescribing for elderly patients treated at Uttaradit Hospital: a randomized controlled trial
Abstract:
The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to assess the effects of pharmaceutical care on appropriateness of medication prescribing for elderly patients using Screening Tool of Older Peoples Prescriptions (STOPP) version 2 and American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Beers Criteria 2015 (Beers criteria 2 0 1 5 ) as tools to perform pharmaceutical care by identifying potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs). 234 cases of elderly patients with chronic diseases and attending chronic disease clinics at Uttaradit hospital were included and randomized to either intervention group, receiving pharmaceutical care or control group, receiving usual care. There was a difference in proportion of patients having PIMs between the intervention and control groups. The patients in intervention group was 0.22 times less likely to have a list of PIMs (adjusted OR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.06-0.78, p = 0.019) compared to those in the control group. In comparison, the proportion of patients having PIMs identified by Beers criteria 2015 was greater than those identified by STOPP criteria version 2 in each visit. The top three of PIMs found in this study were Lorazepam, Omeprazole and Doxazosin. Physicians acceptance to pharmacist recommendations increased from 20.5% in second follow-up visit to 41.3% in the third.