Primary care electronic medication record discrepancies in patients starting treatment at a hospital-based ambulatory care pharmacy and impact on prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to evaluate the prevalence of discrepancies between primary care electronic medication records (EMR) and patient reported medication (PRM) in ambulatory patients starting a hospital dispensing treatment (HDT) at a hospital-based ambulatory care pharmacy (HACPh). Our secondary aims were to analyse factors associated with the presence of discrepancies and their impact on the prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) with the HDT.

METHODS

Retrospective study including 230 patients starting a HDT at the HACPh. Pharmacists interviewed patients and PRM was compared with EMR. Discrepancies were classified as omissions (medication in the PRM not present in the EMR) and commissions (medication active in the EMR that the patients were not taking). Potential DDIs with the HDT were screened, and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to detect factors associated with the presence of discrepancies.

RESULTS

We identified 221 discrepancies in 116 (50.4%) patients. Being visited by three or more medical specialties (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.11 to 3.37) and attending private healthcare (OR 4.36, 95% CI 1.14 to 16.72) in the 12 months before the study inclusion were the factors independently associated with the presence of discrepancies. Among patients with commissions (n=91), 15.4% had a potential DDI between the HDT and one medication from the EMR that they were not taking at that moment. Among patients with omissions (n=45), 11.1% had a potential DDI between the HDT and a medication in the PRM not present in the EMR.

CONCLUSIONS

About 40% of patients had one or more medications in the EMR which they were not taking and one fifth used medications that were not listed in the EMR. EMR should not be used as the only source of information when screening for DDIs, especially in patients followed by different medical specialties or combining private and public healthcare.

Effect of Pharmacist-Led Intervention in Elderly Patients through a Comprehensive Medication Reconciliation: A Randomized Clinical Trial

PURPOSE

Polypharmacy can cause drug-related problems, such as potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use and medication regimen complexity in the elderly. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of a collaborative medication review and comprehensive medication reconciliation intervention by a pharmacist and hospitalist for older patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This comprehensive medication reconciliation study was designed as a prospective, open-label, randomized clinical trial with patients aged 65 years or older from July to December 2020. Comprehensive medication reconciliation comprised medication reviews based on the PIM criteria. The discharge of medication was simplified to reduce regimen complexity. The primary outcome was the difference in adverse drug events (ADEs) throughout hospitalization and 30 days after discharge. Changes in regimen complexity were evaluated using the Korean version of the medication regimen complexity index (MRCI-K).

RESULTS

Of the 32 patients, 34.4% (n=11/32) reported ADEs before discharge, and 19.2% (n=5/26) ADEs were reported at the 30-day phone call. No ADEs were reported in the intervention group, whereas five events were reported in the control group (p=0.039) on the 30-day phone call. The mean acceptance rate of medication reconciliation was 83%. The mean decreases of MRCI-K between at the admission and the discharge were 6.2 vs. 2.4, although it was not significant (p=0.159).

CONCLUSION

As a result, we identified the effect of pharmacist-led interventions using comprehensive medication reconciliation, including the criteria of the PIMs and the MRCI-K, and the differences in ADEs between the intervention and control groups at the 30-day follow-up after discharge in elderly patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

(Clinical trial number: KCT0005994).

Identifying opportunities for pediatric medication therapy management in children with medical complexity

BACKGROUND

Despite potential benefits of medication therapy management (MTM) for complex pediatric patients, implementation of pediatric MTM services is rare.

OBJECTIVES

To describe how a standardized pediatric MTM model identifies potential interventions and their impact on medication regimen complexity index (MRCI) scores in children with medical complexity (CMC) and polypharmacy.

METHODS

This retrospective proof-of-concept study included pediatric patients receiving primary care in a large outpatient primary care medical home for CMC within a tertiary freestanding children's hospital from August 2020 to July 2021. Medication profiles of established patients aged 0-18 years with at least 5 active medications at the time of the index visit were assessed for medication-related concerns, potential interventions, and potential impact of proposed interventions on MRCI scores.

RESULTS

Among 100 patients, an average of 3.4 ± 2.6 medication-related concerns was identified using the pediatric MTM model. Common medication-related concerns (>25% of patients) included inappropriate or unnecessary therapy, suboptimal therapy, undertreated symptom, adverse effect, clinically impactful drug-drug interaction, or duplication of therapy. A total of 97% had opportunities for 5.0 ± 2.9 potential interventions. Most common proposed interventions included drug discontinuation trial (69%), patient or caregiver education (55%), dosage form modification (51%), dose modification (49%), and frequency modification (46%). The mean baseline MRCI score was 32.6 (95% CI 29.3-35.8) among all patients. MRCI scores decreased by a mean of 4.9 (95% CI 3.8-5.9) after application of the theoretical interventions (P < 0.001). Mean potential score reduction was not significantly affected by patient age or number of complex chronic conditions. Potential impact of the proposed interventions on MRCI score was significantly greater in patients with higher baseline medication counts (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Most CMC would likely benefit from a pharmacist-guided pediatric MTM service. A standardized review of active medication regimens identified multiple medication-related concerns and potential interventions for nearly all patients. Proposed medication interventions would significantly reduce medication regimen complexity as measured by MRCI. Further prospective evaluation of a pharmacist-guided pediatric MTM service is warranted.

Complexity of Medication Regimens for Children With Neurological Impairment

IMPORTANCE

Parents of children with severe neurological impairment (SNI) manage complex medication regimens (CMRs) at home, and clinicians can help support parents and simplify CMRs.

OBJECTIVE

To measure the complexity and potentially modifiable aspects of CMRs using the Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI) and to examine the association between MRCI scores and subsequent acute visits.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cross-sectional study was conducted between April 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020, at a single-center, large, hospital-based, complex care clinic. Participants were children with SNI aged 1 to 18 years and 5 or more prescribed medications.

EXPOSURE

Home medication regimen complexity was assessed using MRCI scores. The total MRCI score is composed of 3 subscores (dosage form, dose frequency, and specialized instructions).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Patient-level counts of subscore characteristics and additional safety variables (total doses per day, high-alert medications, and potential drug-drug interactions) were analyzed by MRCI score groups (low, medium, and high score tertiles). Associations between MRCI score groups and acute visits were tested using Poisson regression, adjusted for age, complex chronic conditions, and recent health care use.

RESULTS

Of 123 patients, 73 (59.3%) were male with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of 9 (5-13) years. The median (IQR) MRCI scores were 46 (35-61 [range, 8-139]) overall, 29 (24-35) for the low MRCI group, 46 (42-50) for the medium MRCI group, and 69 (61-78) for the high MRCI group. The median (IQR) counts for the subscores were 6 (4-7) dosage forms per patient, 7 (5-9) dose frequencies per patient, and 5 (4-8) instructions per patient, with counts increasing significantly across higher MRCI groups. Similar trends occurred for total daily doses (median [IQR], 31 [20-45] doses), high-alert medications (median [IQR], 3 [1-5] medications), and potential drug-drug interactions (median [IQR], 3 [0-6] interactions). Incidence rate ratios of 30-day acute visits were 1.26 times greater (95% CI, 0.57-2.78) in the medium MRCI group vs the low MRCI group and 2.42 times greater (95% CI, 1.10-5.35) in the high MRCI group vs the low MRCI group.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Higher MRCI scores were associated with multiple dose frequencies, complicated by different dosage forms and instructions, and associated with subsequent acute visits. These findings suggest that clinical interventions to manage CMRs could target various aspects of these regimens, such as the simplification of dosing schedules.

Platelet Reactivity Testing for Aspirin Patients Who Sustain Traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Patients who take aspirin and sustain traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (tICH) are often transfused platelets in an effort to prevent bleeding progression. The efficacy of platelet transfusion is questionable, however, and some medical societies recommend that platelet reactivity testing (PRT) should guide transfusion decisions. The study hypothesis was that utilization of PRT to guide platelet transfusion for tICH patients suspected of taking aspirin would safely identify patients who did not require platelet transfusion.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of patients with blunt tICH who received PRT for known or suspected aspirin use between June 2014 and December 2017 at a level I trauma center. Chart abstraction was conducted to determine home aspirin status, and PRT values were used to classify patients as therapeutic or nontherapeutic on aspirin. Differences were assessed with Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests.

RESULTS

157 patients met study inclusion criteria, and 118 (75%) patients had documented prior aspirin use. PRT results were available approximately 1.7 h (IQR: 0.9, 3.2) after arrival. Upon initial PRT, 70% of patients were considered inhibited and 88% of those patients had aspirin documented as a home medication. Conversely, 18% of patients with home aspirin use had normal platelet reactivity. Clinically significant worsening of the tICH did not significantly differ when comparing those who received platelet transfusion with those who did not (8% versus 7%, P = 0.87).

CONCLUSIONS

Platelet reactivity testing can detect platelet inhibition related to aspirin and should guide transfusion decisions for head injured patients in the initial hours after trauma.

Medication use, renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, and acute care utilization after hospitalization in patients with chronic kidney disease

Objectives:

The aims of this secondary analysis were to: (a) characterize medication use following hospital discharge for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and (b) investigate relationships of medication use with the primary composite outcome of acute care utilization 90 days after hospitalization.

Methods:

The CKD-Medication Intervention Trial (CKD-MIT) enrolled acutely ill hospitalized patients with CKD stages 3–5 not dialyzed (CKD 3–5 ND). In this post hoc analysis, data for medication use were characterized, and the relationship of medication use with the primary outcome was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results:

Participants were taking a mean of 12.6 (standard deviation=5.1) medications, including medications from a wide variety of medication classes. Nearly half of study participants were taking angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB). ACE inhibitor/ARB use was associated with decreased risk of the primary outcome (hazard ratio=0.51; 95% confidence interval 0.28–0.95; p=0.03) after adjustment for baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate, age, sex, race, blood pressure, albuminuria, and potential nephrotoxin use.

Conclusions:

A large number, variety, and complexity of medications were used by hospitalized patients with CKD 3–5 ND. ACE inhibitor or ARB use at hospital discharge was associated with a decreased risk of 90-day acute care utilization.

Assessing the Population-Level Correlation of Medication Regimen Complexity and Adherence Indices Using Electronic Health Records and Insurance Claims

BACKGROUND

Nonadherence to medication regimens can lead to adverse health care outcomes and increasing costs.

OBJECTIVES

To (a) assess the level of medication complexity at an outpatient setting using population-level electronic health record (EHR) data and (b) evaluate its association with medication adherence measures derived from medication-dispensing claims.

METHODS

We linked EHR data with insurance claims of 70,054 patients who had an encounter with a U.S. midwestern health system between 2012 and 2013. We constructed 3 medication-derived indices: medication regimen complexity index (MRCI) using EHR data; medication possession ratio (MPR) using insurance pharmacy claims; and prescription fill rates (PFR; 7 and 30 days) using both data sources. We estimated the partial correlation between indices using Spearman's coefficient (SC) after adjusting for age and sex.

RESULTS

The mean age (SD) of 70,054 patients was 37.9 (18.0) years, with an average Charlson Comorbidity Index of 0.308 (0.778). The 2012 data showed mean (SD) MRCI, MPR, and 30-day PFR of 14.6 (17.8), 0.624 (0.310), and 81.0 (27.0), respectively. Patients with previous inpatient stays were likely to have high MRCI scores (36.3 [37.9], P < 0.001) and were less adherent to outpatient prescriptions (MPR = 50.3 [27.6%], P < 0.001; 30-day PFR = 75.7 [23.6%], P < 0.001). However, MRCI did not show a negative correlation with MPR (SC = -0.31, P < 0.001) or with 30-day PFR (SC = -0.17, P < 0.001) at significant levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Medication complexity and adherence indices can be calculated on a population level using linked EHR and claims data. Regimen complexity affects patient adherence to outpatient medication, and strength of correlations vary modestly across populations. Future studies should assess the added values of MRCI, MPR, and PFR to population health management efforts.

DISCLOSURES

No outside funding supported this study. The authors have nothing to disclose. The abstract of this work was presented at INFORMS Healthcare Conference, held on July 27-29, 2019, in Cambridge, MA.

Medication Regimen Complexity Index Prediction of Adverse Drug Reaction-Related Hospital Admissions

BACKGROUND

The relationship between the medication regimen complexity index (MRCI) and adverse drug reaction (ADR)-related hospital admissions has not yet specifically been investigated.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the MRCI and compare with medication count for prediction of ADR-related hospital admissions in older patients.

METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected convenience sample of 768 unplanned medical admissions of Australians aged 65 years old and older. The sample consisted of 115 (15.0%) ADR-related unplanned hospital admissions and 653 (85.0%) non-ADR-related unplanned medical admissions. The MRCI score was calculated from the medical records and analyzed to predict ADR-related hospital admissions.

RESULTS

The cohort had a median age of 81 years, 5 comorbidities, and 11 medications, with a slight majority of women. The MRCI score was not significantly different in patients who had ADR-related admissions compared with other medical admissions-38.5 versus 34.0, respectively; Wilcoxon Rank Sum test W = 33 522; P = 0.067. The medication count was significantly different between the ADR-related admissions compared with other medical admissions: 12 versus 10; W = 32 508; P = 0.021. However, the medication count was not a strong predictor of ADR-related admissions; unadjusted odds ratio = 1.044; 95% CI = 1.006-1.084.

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE

The MRCI score did not discriminate between ADR-related admissions and other medical admissions despite taking time to calculate with potential for inconsistent application. Medication count is more readily applicable with marginally greater relevance in this cohort; however, both measures do not appear to be useful when used alone for clinicians to identify patients at risk of ADRs.

Medication Regimen Complexity In 8 Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities: Impact Of Age, Length Of Stay, Comorbidity, Frailty, And Dependence In Activities Of Daily Living

Objective

To explore variation in medication regimen complexity in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) according to resident age, length of stay, comorbidity, dementia severity, frailty, and dependence in activities of daily living (ADLs), and compare number of daily administration times and Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI) as measures of regimen complexity.

Methods

This study was a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the SImplification of Medications Prescribed to Long-tErm care Residents (SIMPLER) cluster-randomized controlled trial. The SIMPLER study recruited 242 residents with at least one medication charted for regular administration from 8 RACFs in South Australia. Comorbidity was assessed using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Dementia severity was assessed using the Dementia Severity Rating Scale. Frailty was assessed using the FRAIL-NH scale. Dependence in ADLs was assessed using the Katz ADL scale.

Results

The median age of participants was 87 years (interquartile range 81–92). Over one-third of participants (n=86, 36%) had 5 or more daily medication administration times. The number of daily administration times and MRCI scores were positively correlated with resident length of stay (r_s=0.19; 0.27), FRAIL-NH score (r_s=0.23; 0.34) and dependence in ADLs (r_s=−0.21; −0.33) (all p<0.01). MRCI was weakly negatively correlated with CCI score (r_s=−0.16; p=0.013). Neither number of daily administration times nor MRCI score were correlated with age or dementia severity. In multivariate analysis, frailty was associated with number of daily administration times (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.03–1.24) and MRCI score (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.13–1.41). Dementia severity was inversely associated with both multiple medication administration times (OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.94–0.99) and high MRCI score (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92–0.98).

Conclusion

Residents with longer lengths of stay, more dependent in ADLs and most frail had the most complex medication regimens and, therefore, may benefit from targeted strategies to reduce medication regimen complexity.

Automation to optimise physician treatment of individual patients: examples in psychiatry

There is widespread agreement by health-care providers, medical associations, industry, and governments that automation using digital technology could improve the delivery and quality of care in psychiatry, and reduce costs. Many benefits from technology have already been realised, along with the identification of many challenges. In this Review, we discuss some of the challenges to developing effective automation for psychiatry to optimise physician treatment of individual patients. Using the perspective of automation experts in other industries, three examples of automation in the delivery of routine care are reviewed: (1) effects of electronic medical records on the patient interview; (2) effects of complex systems integration on e-prescribing; and (3) use of clinical decision support to assist with clinical decision making. An increased understanding of the experience of automation from other sectors might allow for more effective deployment of technology in psychiatry.

Pharmacist-participated medication review in different practice settings: Service or intervention? An overview of systematic reviews

Introduction

Medication review (MR) is a pharmacy practice conducted in different settings that has a positive impact on patient health outcomes. In this context, systematic reviews on MR have restricted the assessment of this practice using criteria such as methodological quality, practice settings, and patient outcomes. Therefore, expanding research on this subject is necessary to facilitate the understanding of the effectiveness of MR and the comparison of its results.

Aim

To examine the panorama of systematic reviews on pharmacist-participated MR in different practice settings.

Methods

A literature search was undertaken in Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), Embase, PubMed, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases through January 2018 using keywords for "medication review", "systematic review", and "pharmacist". Two independents investigators screened titles, abstracts, full texts; assessed methodological quality; and, extracted data from the included reviews.

Results

Seventeen systematic reviews were included, of which sixteen presented low to moderate methodological quality. Most of reviews were conducted in Europe (n = 7), included controlled primary studies (n = 16), elderly patients (n = 9), and long-term care facilities (n = 8). Seven reviews addressed MR as an intervention and thirteen reviews cited collaboration between physicians and pharmacists in the practice of MR. In addition, thirteen terminologies for MR were used and the main objective was to identify and solve drug-related problems and/or optimize the drug use (n = 11).

Conclusion

There is considerable heterogeneity in practice settings, population, definitions, terminologies, and approach of MR as well as poor description of patient care process in the systematic reviews. These facts may limit the comparison, summarization and understanding of the results of MR. Furthermore, the methodological quality of most systematic reviews was below ideal. Thus, international agreement on the MR process is necessary to assess, compare and optimize the quality of care provided.

Evaluation of Hospital Discharge Prescriptions in the Elderly and Younger Adults Using the Medication Regimen Complexity Index

BACKGROUND

Advances in the clinical management of diseases have been accompanied by increasing complexity of treatment regimens. The complexity of medication regimen is of concern for patients as well as doctors as it may adversely affect patient compliance and treatment outcomes. It may result in medication errors, increased utilization of health resources owing to a reduction in treatment effectiveness, and increased risk of therapeutic failure.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the complexity of medication regimen prescribed to patients on hospital discharge using the medication regimen complexity index (MRCI).

METHODS

A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted. Hospital discharge prescriptions written for patients discharged from the General Medicine wards of a tertiary care teaching hospital in South India were scored for their complexity using MRCI. The correlation of age and gender with the MRCI scores was also assessed. Patients ≥60 years of age were considered elderly.

RESULTS

The median MRCI score for 563 prescriptions studied was 14 (Interquartile range, 9-21). Elderly patients received a significantly more complex medication regimen compared with younger patients (p < 0.001) at the time of hospital discharge. Gender variation was seen with higher MRCI scores in females, but this was not statistically significant in the elderly group.

CONCLUSION

MRCI scores are significantly high in elderly patients at the time of hospital discharge. Although a strong correlation is seen between the number of medications and the MRCI score, the latter helps to distinguish regimen complexity between prescriptions with the same number of medications.

Medication Regimen Complexity Measured by MRCI: A Systematic Review to Identify Health Outcomes

Objective: To perform a systematic review to identify health outcomes related to medication regimen complexity as measured by the Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI) instrument. Data Sources: Cochrane Library, LILACS, PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Open Thesis, and Web of Science were searched from January 1, 2004, until April 02, 2018, using the following search terms: outcome assessment, drug therapy, and Medication Regimen Complexity Index and their synonyms in different combinations. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Studies that used the MRCI instrument to measure medication regimen complexity and related it to clinical, humanistic, and/or economic outcomes were evaluated. Two reviewers independently carried out the analysis of the titles, abstracts, and complete texts according to the eligibility criteria, performed data extraction, and evaluated study quality. Data Synthesis: A total of 23 studies met the inclusion criteria; 18 health outcomes related to medication regimen complexity were found. The health outcomes most influenced by medication regimen complexity were hospital readmission, medication adherence, hospitalization, adverse drug events, and emergency sector visit. Only one study related medication regimen complexity with humanistic outcomes, and no study related medication regimen complexity to economic outcomes. Most of the studies were of good methodological quality. Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: Health care professionals should pay attention to medication regimen complexity of the patients because this may influence health outcomes. Conclusion: This study identified some health outcomes that may be influenced by medication regimen complexity: hospitalization, hospital readmission, and medication adherence were more prevalent, showing a significant association between MRCI increase and these health outcomes.

Finding Meaning in Medication Reconciliation Using Electronic Health Records: Qualitative Analysis in Safety Net Primary and Specialty Care

BACKGROUND

Safety net health systems face barriers to effective ambulatory medication reconciliation for vulnerable populations. Although some electronic health record (EHR) systems offer safety advantages, EHR use may affect the quality of patient-provider communication.

OBJECTIVE

This mixed-methods observational study aimed to develop a conceptual framework of how clinicians balance the demands and risks of EHR and communication tasks during medication reconciliation discussions in a safety net system.

METHODS

This study occurred 3 to 16 (median 9) months after new EHR implementation in five academic public hospital clinics. We video recorded visits between English-/Spanish-speaking patients and their primary/specialty care clinicians. We analyzed the proportion of medications addressed and coded time spent on nonverbal tasks during medication reconciliation as "multitasking EHR use," "silent EHR use," "non-EHR multitasking," and "focused patient-clinician talk." Finally, we analyzed communication patterns to develop a conceptual framework.

RESULTS

We examined 35 visits (17%, 6/35 Spanish) between 25 patients (mean age 57, SD 11 years; 44%, 11/25 women; 48%, 12/25 Hispanic; and 20%, 5/25 with limited health literacy) and 25 clinicians (48%, 12/25 primary care). Patients had listed a median of 7 (IQR 5-12) relevant medications, and clinicians addressed a median of 3 (interquartile range [IQR] 1-5) medications. The median duration of medication reconciliation was 2.1 (IQR 1.0-4.2) minutes, comprising a median of 10% (IQR 3%-17%) of visit time. Multitasking EHR use occurred in 47% (IQR 26%-70%) of the medication reconciliation time. Silent EHR use and non-EHR multitasking occurred a smaller proportion of medication reconciliation time, with a median of 0% for both. Focused clinician-patient talk occurred a median of 24% (IQR 0-39%) of medication reconciliation time. Five communication patterns with EHR medication reconciliation were observed: (1) typical EHR multitasking for medication reconciliation, (2) dynamic EHR use to negotiate medication discrepancies, (3) focused patient-clinician talk for medication counseling and addressing patient concerns, (4) responding to patient concerns while maintaining EHR use, and (5) using EHRs to engage patients during medication reconciliation. We developed a conceptual diagram representing the dilemma of the multitasking clinician during medication reconciliation.

CONCLUSIONS

Safety net visits involve multitasking EHR use during almost half of medication reconciliation time. The multitasking clinician balances the cognitive and emotional demands posed by incoming information from multiple sources, attempts to synthesize and act on this information through EHR and communication tasks, and adopts strategies of silent EHR use and focused patient-clinician talk that may help mitigate the risks of multitasking. Future studies should explore diverse patient perspectives about clinician EHR multitasking, clinical outcomes related to EHR multitasking, and human factors and systems engineering interventions to improve the safety of EHR use during the complex process of medication reconciliation.

Hazardous Drug Diversion of Valproate from a General Practitioner to his Patient's Dog

General practitioners are key stakeholders in good prescribing practices. More than half of patients have at least one unintended medication discrepancy upon hospital admission, some of which have the potential to cause severe discomfort or clinical deterioration. We report a case of a drug mistakenly administered to a 66-year-old man with cirrhosis and chronic alcoholism. Based on his regular prescription, he received 1 g/day of valproate during a hospitalization for cardiac valve surgery. This anticonvulsant was initially prescribed by his general practitioner for his epileptic dog and has been added to his own prescription to be covered by the French national health insurance. The aim of this article is to emphasize that general practitioners, physicians, and pharmacists have a major role to play in preventing the diversion of prescription drugs and limiting the risk of adverse drug events.

Medication discrepancies in late-stage chronic kidney disease

Background

Late-stage chronic kidney disease (LS-CKD) can be defined by glomerular filtration rate (GFR) 0–30 mL/min. It is a period of risk for medication discrepancies because of frequent hospitalizations, fragmented medical care, inadequate communication and polypharmacy. In this study, we sought to characterize medication discrepancies in LS-CKD.

Methods

We analyzed all patients enrolled in Northwell Health’s Healthy Transitions in LS-CKD program. All patients had estimated GFR 0–30 mL/min, not on dialysis. Medications were reviewed by a nurse at a home visit. Patients’ medication usage and practice were compared with nephrologists’ medication lists, and discrepancies were characterized. Patients were categorized as having either no discrepancies or one or more. Associations between patient characteristics and number of medication discrepancies were evaluated by chi-square or Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables, and two-sample t-test or Wilcoxon text for continuous variables.

Results

Seven hundred and thirteen patients with a median age of 70 (interquartile range 58–79) years were studied. There were 392 patients (55.0% of the study population) with at least one medication discrepancy. The therapeutic classes of medications with most frequently occurring medication discrepancies were cardiovascular, vitamins, bone and mineral disease agents, diuretics, analgesics and diabetes medications. In multivariable analysis, factors associated with higher risk of discrepancies were congestive heart failure [odds ratio (OR) 2.13; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.44–3.16; P = 0.0002] and number of medications (OR 1.29; 95% CI 1.21–1.37; P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Medication discrepancies are common in LS-CKD, affect the majority of patients and include high-risk medication classes. Congestive heart failure and total number of medications are independently associated with greater risk for multiple drug discrepancies. The frequency of medication discrepancies indicates a need for great care in medication management of these patients.

Polypharmacy and risk of non-fatal overdose for patients with HIV infection and substance dependence

INTRODUCTION

People living with HIV (PLWH) are at risk of both polypharmacy and unintentional overdose yet there are few data on whether polypharmacy increases risk of overdose. The study objective was to determine if the number and type of medication (e.g., sedating) were associated with non-fatal overdose (OD) among PLWH with past-year substance dependence or a lifetime history of injection drug use.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a longitudinal study of adults recruited from two urban, safety-net HIV clinics. Outcomes were i) lifetime and ii) past-year non-fatal OD assessed at baseline and a 12-month follow-up. We used logistic regression to examine the association between each outcome and the number of medications (identified from the electronic medical record) in the following categories: i) overall medications, ii) non-antiretroviral (non-ARV), iii) sedating, iv) non-sedating, as well as any vs no opioid medication and any vs no non-opioid sedating medication. Covariates included demographics, medical comorbidities, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and substance use.

RESULTS

Among 250 participants, 80% were prescribed a sedating medication, 50% were prescribed an opioid; 51% exceeded risky drinking limits. In the past month, 23% reported illicit opioid use and 9% illicit opioid sedative use; 37% reported lifetime non-fatal OD and 7% past-year non-fatal OD. The median number (interquartile range) of total medications was 10 (7, 14) and 2 (1, 3) sedating. The odds of lifetime non-fatal OD were significantly higher with each additional sedating medication (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.08, 1.46) and any opioid medication (OR 2.31; 95% CI 1.37, 3.90), but not with each overall, non-ARV, or non-sedating medication. The odds of past year non-fatal OD were greater with each additional sedating medication (OR 1.18; 95% CI 1.00, 1.39, p=0.049), each additional non-ARV medication (OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.00, 1.15, p=0.048), and non-significantly for any opioid medication (OR 2.23; 95% CI 0.93, 5.35).

CONCLUSIONS

In this sample of PLWH with substance dependence and/or injection drug use, number of sedating medications and any opioid were associated with non-fatal overdose; sedating medications were prescribed to the majority of patients. Polypharmacy among PLWH and substance dependence warrants further research to determine whether reducing sedating medications, including opioids, lowers overdose risk.

Medication discrepancies and potentially inadequate prescriptions in elderly adults with polypharmacy in ambulatory care

Objectives:

The objective of this study is to describe the frequency and type of medication discrepancies (MD) through medication reconciliation and to describe the frequency of potentially inadequate prescription (PIP) medications using screening tool of older persons’ prescriptions criteria.

Design:

Cross-sectional comparison of electronic medical record (EMR) medication lists and patient's self-report of their comprehensive medication histories obtained through telephone interviews.

Inclusion criteria:

Elderly individuals (>65 years old) with more than ten medications recorded in their EMR, who had not been hospitalized in the past year and were not under domiciliary care, affiliated to a private community hospital.

Outcome Measures:

The primary outcomes were the proportion of patients with MD and PIP. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of types of discrepancies and PIP. We analyzed possible associations between these variables and other demographic and clinical variables.

Results:

Out of 214 randomly selected individuals, 150 accepted to participate (70%). The mean number of medications referred to be consumed by patients was 9.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] =8.6–9.6), and the mean number of prescribed medications in their EMR was 13.9 (95% CI = 13.3–14.5). Ninety-nine percent had at least one discrepancy (total 1252 discrepancies); 46% consumed at least one prescription not documented in their EMR and 93% did not consume at least one of the prescriptions documented in their EMR. In 77% of the patients, a PIP was detected (total 186), 87% of them were at least within one of the following categories: Prolonged used of benzodiazepines or proton pump inhibitors and the use of aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Conclusions:

There was a high prevalence of MD and PIP within the community of elderly adults affiliated to a Private University Hospital. Future interventions should be aimed at reducing the number of PIP to prevent adverse drug events and improve EMR accuracy by lowering medications discrepancies.