ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Aged polymedicated patients are particularly vulnerable for drug-related problems. A medication review aims to optimize the medication use of patients and improve health outcomes. In this study, the effect of a pharmacist-led medication use review is investigated for polymedicated ambulatory older patients with the aim of implementing this pharmaceutical care intervention across Belgium. METHODS: This article describes the study protocol of the SIMENON study and reports the results of the feasibility study, which aimed to test and optimize this study protocol. In the SIMENON intervention study, 75 Belgian community pharmacies each recruit 12 patients for a medication use review. For each patient, the identified drug-related problems and subsequent interventions are registered using the PharmDISC classification. In a subset of Dutch speaking patients, a pretest-posttest single group design is used to measure the impact of this review on patient related outcomes using questionnaires. The main outcome of the study is the type and number of drug-related problems and related interventions. A second outcome is the impact of the medication use review on adherence, objectively measured with dispensing data. Evolution in medication related quality of life is another outcome, measured with the Living with Medicines Questionnaire version 3. Other patient reported outcomes include adherence, self-management, patient satisfaction, fall incidents and use of emergency healthcare services. DISCUSSION: The findings of this study can provide data on the effectiveness of a medication use review in the Belgian primary care setting. Furthermore, it will provide insights in which patients benefit most of this intervention and therefore facilitate the implementation of medication review in Belgium. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03179722 . Retrospectively registered 7 June 2017.
Subject(s)
Community Pharmacy Services/statistics & numerical data , Polypharmacy , Aged , Belgium , Drug Utilization/statistics & numerical data , Feasibility Studies , Humans , Medication Adherence/statistics & numerical data , Multicenter Studies as Topic , Patient Satisfaction , Patient Selection , Pharmacies/statistics & numerical data , Pharmacists/statistics & numerical data , Quality of Life , Retrospective Studies , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
This article discusses some infectious diseases characterized by eruptions, frequently seen in children. Based on the symptoms, the pharmacy team is able to know the possible cause of the eruptions, to refer if necessary, and to optimize the pharmaceutical care for the patients. Besides general advice regarding eruption and fever, specific advice is given for each disease focusing on hygienic measures and prevention of further infection.
Subject(s)
Community Pharmacy Services/standards , Pharmacists , Skin Diseases, Infectious/complications , Skin Diseases, Infectious/drug therapy , Child , HumansABSTRACT
Glucosamine is a popular treatment for osteoarthritis. Despite of the ongoing debate around its efficiency, the sale of glucosamine is a success in pharmacies. The molecule remains issue of controversy: while some studies provide proof of its efficiency, other studies and meta-analysis are unable to answer the question or don't find any advantage. This article treats the current state of glucosamine regarding its efficiency and safety and aims to trigger the pharmacy-team to help the patient evaluating the product after three months of use.
Subject(s)
Glucosamine/therapeutic use , Osteoarthritis/drug therapy , Attitude of Health Personnel , Cartilage, Articular/pathology , Drug Industry , Drug Interactions , Glucosamine/administration & dosage , Glucosamine/adverse effects , Humans , Osteoarthritis/pathology , Patient Education as Topic , Pharmacies , PharmacistsABSTRACT
Non compliance with chronic administration of inhaled medication is a great pitfall. Pharmacists have an important task in optimizing patient compliance since they hold several advantages for that purpose: they possess an overview of the patient's medication, even prescription free medication such as cough medicines. Moreover, the pharmacist is capable of explaining the role of the medication in therapy and he enjoys the patient's confidence to do so. This article highlights some strategies to measure patient compliance and seeks to understand the underlying reasons for non-compliance. The appropriate pharmacist's action will depend on that reason.
Subject(s)
Administration, Inhalation , Patient Compliance , Pharmacies , Asthma/drug therapy , Drug Therapy , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions , Humans , Patient Education as Topic , PharmacistsABSTRACT
This article attempts to provide a guideline for the different modalities of taking oral antibiotics. On the one hand, it focuses on the time interval between two administrations, and on the other hand on the time of optimal absorption. Antibiotics can be classified into 2 groups--either time dependent or concentration dependent--based on their antibacterial mechanism of action. By understanding the underlying reason for the different administration schedules (for example, why antibiotic A is taken three times daily with a meal and antibiotic B only once and sober), pharmacists and technicians are far better prepared for their task to inform the patient who is dispensed a first prescription.