Study Highlights Effectiveness Of Home Medicines Reviews, Australia

Main Category: Heart Disease
Also Included In: Cardiovascular / Cardiology;  Public Health
Article Date: 27 Aug 2009 - 2:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions

A new study has shown Home Medicines Reviews (HMRs) undertaken by accredited pharmacists and GPs have a significant impact in reducing the rate of hospital admissions from heart failure.

HMRs are Government-funded collaborative medicines reviews designed to prevent, detect and resolve medication-related problems.

The study titled The Effectiveness Of Collaborative Medicine Reviews In Delaying Time To Next Hospitalisation For Heart Failure Patients In The Practice Setting: Results Of A Cohort Study, published in Circulation: Heart Failure, a journal of the American Heart Association, found HMRs appeared to be effective in reducing hospitalisations among those at high risk, including the elderly.

"Unadjusted results showed a 37% reduction in rate of hospitalization for heart failure at any time. Adjusted results showed a 45% reduction amongst those that had received a home medicines review compared to the unexposed patients," the report says. "Conclusion: Medicines review in the practice setting is effective in delaying time to next hospitalisation for heart failure in those treated with heart failure medicines."

President of the PSA Warwick Plunkett said the risk of misadventure from medication misadventure had risen significantly in the past 20 years.

"Adverse-medication events are conservatively estimated to account for more than 400,000 visits to general practitioners each year and about 140,000 hospital admissions across Australia a year, adding a huge cost burden to the health-care system," Mr Plunkett said.

"In the United States, the Bootman study found a health-care cost of $1.50 for every $1 spent on medicines as a result of medication misadventure, of which at least half are avoidable. Given the similarities between the US and Australian systems, I don't think those figures would be much different in Australia."

Mr Plunkett said the study clearly demonstrated that HMRs were an effective and accessible way of reducing hospitalisations through medication misadventure. "Patients, particularly the elderly or those in high-risk groups - patients taking five prescriptions or more - are encouraged to speak to their GP and pharmacist about an HMR. It is a critical investment in their own wellbeing."

Source
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia