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Pharmacist review changed more repeat prescriptions for elderly patients than usual general practice review

Key Words: patient participation • pharmacists • physician’s practice patterns

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Design
12 month randomised {allocation concealed^*}, {unblinded},^* controlled trial.

Setting
4 general practices in Leeds, UK.

Patients
1188 patients who were 65 years of age (mean age 74 y, 56% women); were receiving 1 drug on repeat prescription as of 1 June 1999; and were from a general practice in which prescribing costs were average and that had 4 partners, computerised repeat prescribing, and no previous or current clinical pharmacist involvement. Patients were excluded if they lived in nursing or residential homes, had a terminal illness, or were enrolled in clinical trials. Follow up was 95%.

Intervention
608 patients were allocated to pharmacist review, which had 3 components. In stage 1, the pharmacist evaluated the patients; their illnesses; and their medications, including adherence. In stage 2, the pharmacist evaluated the patients’ medication regimen in terms of need for ongoing drugs, side effects, inadequate treatment, and cost. In stage 3, if necessary, . . . [Full text of this article]

Anthony Dixon, MB, ChB

University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong, China