What you need to know about THE RESEARCH
Chronic diseases patients see the doctor and are hospitalized more often than other patients. And in most cases these patients have multiple doctors treating various different issues, as a direct result of this the patient’s care is fragmented with inefficient communication between providers. This is the case in part because of the structure of our healthcare delivery system as an acute care model, rather than a chronic care model. And as can be expected the lack of coordinated care can escalate overall costs and hospitalization rates.
Graphic courtesy of Power-Pak C.E.
| Table 3. Positive Health Outcomes of Pharmacist Interventions: Evidence from Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses | ||
| Disease state/condition | # patients (# studies)
Source |
Outcome/effect of pharmacist intervention |
| Diabetes | 2,247 (16)35 | Significantly reduced Hb A1c levels |
| Diabetes (10-City Challenge) | 573 (1 multicenter)36 | Influenza vaccination rate doubled; eye and foot examination rates increased |
| Diabetes (Asheville Project) | 12 community pharmacies followed 5 years37 | Significantly reduced mean Hb A1c; increased % of patients with optimal A1c; improved lipid levels; decreased costs of care; decreased sick days |
| Diabetes (poorly controlled) | Retrospective review of 100 patient records11 | Patients with pharmacist-directed MTM had higher rates of medication adherence and lower Hb A1C levels than the non-MTM group. |
| Hypertension | 2,246 (13)38 | Significantly reduced systolic BP |
| Hypertension, dyslipidemia | 285 (Minnesota MTM Program)39 | 637 drug therapy problems resolved (in 285 patients); HEDIS measures improved for hypertension and cholesterol |
| Congestive heart failure | 2060 (12)40 | Reduced all-cause and heart-failure related hospitalizations |
| Patient safety | 298 studies41 | Significantly fewer adverse drug events; significantly improved adherence, patient knowledge, quality of life |
| Primary care clinics | 38 studies (mostly cardiovascular and diabetes)42 | Pharmacist interventions in primary care resulted in improvements in blood pressure, glycosylated hemoglobin, cholesterol, CVD risk factors |
| Hb A1c=hemoglobin A1c; BP=blood pressure; LDL=low-density lipoprotein | ||