Effect of a Pharmacist Intervention on Clinically Important Medication Errors after Hospital Discharge: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Sunil Kripalani, Vanderbilt University; Christianne L. Roumie, Vanderbilt University; Anuj K Dalal, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Courtney Cawthon, Vanderbilt University; Alexandra Businger, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Sveltlana Eden, Vanderbilt University; Ayumi Shintani, Vanderbilt University; Kelly Cunningham Sponsler, Vanderbilt University; L. Jeff Harris, Vanderbilt University; Cecelia Theobald, Vanderbilt University; Robert L. Huang, Vanderbilt University; Danielle Scheurer, Medical University of South Carolina; Susan Hunt, University of Washington Hospitalist Service; Terry A Jacobson, Emory University; Kimberly J Rask, Emory University; Viola Vaccarino, Emory University; Tejal K Gandhi, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; David W Bates, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Mark V. Williams, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Jeffrey Schnipper, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Division of General Medicine and Primary Care
• Language: English
• Date: 2012-07-03
• Publisher: American College of Physicians
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2012 American College of Physicians.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-157-1-201207030-00003
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Annals of Internal Medicine
• ISSN: 0003-4819
• Volume: 157
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 1
• End Page: U35
• Grant/Funding Information: Funded by R01 HL089755 (NHLBI, Kripalani) and in part by K23 HL077597 (NHLBI, Kripalani), K08 HL072806 (NHLBI, Schnipper), VA Career Development Award 04-342-2 (Roumie), and UL1 RR024975 (NCRR, Bernard).
• Keywords: ADVERSE DRUG EVENTS; HEALTH LITERACY; General & Internal Medicine; PREVALENCE; TOOL; INPATIENT; Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; RECONCILIATION; PATIENTS AFTER-DISCHARGE; CARE; Medicine, General & Internal
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Pharmacy; Biology, Biostatistics

Abstract

Background: Clinically important medication errors are common after hospital discharge. They include preventable or ameliorable adverse drug events (ADEs), as well as medication discrepancies or nonadherence with high potential for future harm (potential ADEs). Objective: To determine the effect of a tailored intervention on the occurrence of clinically important medication errors after hospital discharge. Design: Randomized, controlled trial with concealed allocation and blinded outcome assessors. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT00632021) Setting: Two tertiary care academic hospitals. Patients: Adults hospitalized with acute coronary syndromes or acute decompensated heart failure. Intervention: Pharmacist-assisted medication reconciliation, inpatient pharmacist counseling, low-literacy adherence aids, and individualized telephone follow-up after discharge. Measurements: The primary outcome was the number of clinically important medication errors per patient during the first 30 days after hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes included preventable or ameliorable ADEs, as well as potential ADEs. Results: Among 851 participants, 432 (50.8%) had 1 or more clinically important medication errors; 22.9% of such errors were judged to be serious and 1.8% life-threatening. Adverse drug events occurred in 258 patients (30.3%) and potential ADEs in 253 patients (29.7%). The intervention did not significantly alter the per-patient number of clinically important medication errors (unadjusted incidence rate ratio, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.77 to 1.10]) or ADEs (unadjusted incidence rate ratio, 1.09 [CI, 0.86 to 1.39] ). Patients in the intervention group tended to have fewer potential ADEs (unadjusted incidence rate ratio, 0.80 [CI, 0.61 to 1.04]). Limitation: The characteristics of the study hospitals and participants may limit generalizability. Conclusion: Clinically important medication errors were present among one half of patients after hospital discharge and were not significantly reduced by a health-literacy-sensitive, pharmacistdelivered intervention. Primary Funding Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.