Multidisciplinary intervention to improve albuterol inhaler utilization among patients with asthma.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to examine the impact of a multidisciplinary intervention designed to improve appropriate albuterol inhaler utilization among patients with asthma. METHODS: This was a pre-post retrospective analysis. The study intervention included written information sent directly to patients, educated prescribers, and enhanced pharmacist training on appropriate albuterol inhaler utilization. Eligible study patients had a diagnosis of asthma and purchased at least two albuterol inhalers between 07/12/2012 and 06/30/2013 (pre-period) and 7/01/2013 to 06/30/2014 (post-period). The primary outcome was a comparison between study periods of the count of albuterol inhalers purchased per patient per month (PPPM). RESULTS: The median age of included patients was 41 years, 53% were females, and allergic rhinitis was the most common comorbidity. The median albuterol inhalers purchased PPPM decreased from 0.60 (interquartile range [IQR] = 0.39-0.87) to 0.37 (IQR = 0.26-0.53) from the pre- to post-period (p < 0.001). The proportion of patients with at least one systemic corticosteroid purchase decreased (36% vs. 31%) and >1 albuterol inhaler purchased on the same day increased (3.1% vs. 5.7%) from the pre- to post-period (p < 0.001). Numerically, the proportion of participants who experienced an acute asthma exacerbation decreased and asthma controller inhalers purchased PPPM increased but these did not reach statistical significance (both p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A multidisciplinary approach to increasing appropriate albuterol inhaler use was associated with a decrease in albuterol inhalers purchased PPPM while not increasing acute asthma exacerbations. Future study is needed to evaluate patient perspectives on this intervention and assess its economic impact.

Clinical Outcomes of Continuation of Metformin Titration Instructions with Electronic Prescribing.

BACKGROUND: Anecdotal evidence suggests that metformin titration instructions are not being updated and refill requests are approved without modification of the titration instructions such that the titration instructions is continued for patients newly initiated on metformin. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort analysis of adult patients who received newly initiated metformin pharmacotherapy. Patients were followed from their initial metformin purchase through two subsequent metformin refill purchases. Outcomes, including the 3-year incidence rate of patients with at least one set of continued titration instructions and proportions of patients with at least one gastrointestinal adverse effect (AE) and those with an elevated glucose measurement at follow-up, were assessed during the time period between patients' second and third metformin purchases. Analyses were performed comparing the exposure (i.e., patients with continued instructions) group to the control (i.e., patients without continued instructions) group. RESULTS: The exposure group had a higher mean age and chronic disease score but lower metformin starting dose than the control group (all p < 0.05). The 3-year incidence rate of patients with at least one continuation of titration instructions was 60.3 % (95 % CI 58.3-62.3). Gastrointestinal AEs were rare with equivalent proportions of patients in each group experiencing an event (p > 0.05). Control patients (48.7 % of patients with a measurement) were more likely to have had poorly controlled glucose than exposure patients (35.7 % of patients with a measurement) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A high rate of continuation of titration instructions for patients newly initiated on metformin was observed; however, such continuation did not negatively affect clinical outcomes.