NCT01739816

Polymedication Check - a Randomised Controlled Trial

Polymedication Check - Evaluation of the Impact of Community Pharmacy Based Medication Review on Medicines Use and Humanistic Outcomes

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 450 (actual)
• Sponsor: Kurt Hersberger · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Since October 2010, Swiss community pharmacies can offer a 'Polymedication Check' (PMC) to patients on ≥4 prescribed drugs taken over ≥3 months. Aims: To evaluate first experiences shortly after implementation, missed pharmaceutical care issues and barriers to implementation on pharmacist's level as well as patient's acceptance through qualitative and descriptive studies To evaluate the impact of PMC in Swiss primary Care and to evaluate economic, clinical and humanistic outcomes in a subsequent randomized controlled trial.

Detailed description

Evaluating the newly implemented Swiss 'Polymedication-Check', a specialised medication review and screening for adherence issues, offers a large field of interesting research questions. Using the current PMC-Protocol as a structured interview guide, pharmacists are able to document their counselling on medication use issues and other drug related problems. In a randomized-controlled trial we aim at analysing 800 recruited patients from 70 study pharmacies during seven months. Patients were recruited in the regions Basel, Aargau-Solothurn, Waadt in Switzerland and randomised using 1:1 block randomisation. Primary outcome focuses on the improvement of adherence and persistence after 'Polymedication Check' (using medication possession ratio (MPR), gaps in medicines history records and patient's interviews). Second outcomes are time to planned or unplanned consulting with a physician or hospitalisation, knowledge, safety of medicines use and patients management of polypharmacy.

Conditions

• Polypharmacy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Medication review	Polymedication Check (PMC) is a pharmacist's led medication review focusing medicines management, adherence issues and other drug related problems. The PMC has been implemented in 2010 as a new cognitive service provided by any community pharmacist to patient with polypharmacy (n\>3 drugs) on long term conditions (\> months). This specialised medication review follows a structured predefined protocol and is reimbursed by swiss health insurances. As an outcome, pharmacist may install a compliance support e.g. weekly filled pill organizer.

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-06-01
• Primary completion: 2014-02-01
• Completion: 2014-03-01
• First posted: 2012-12-04
• Last updated: 2014-04-09

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Switzerland