Inpatient Geriatric Stewardship Cuts Drug-Related Complaints After Discharge in Half

Nearly a third of initial medication review recommendations for older inpatients provided by hospital pharmacists and geriatricians were modified or discarded after consultation with primary care providers and patients as part of a geriatric stewardship intervention. Researchers published their findings online in the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy. 

“Inpatient medication reviews should not be based on clinical records only; they require transmural collaboration and patient participation to ensure continuity of patient care,” researchers advised. 

The study was designed to assess the effect of the geriatric stewardship intervention on medication-related problems after hospital discharge. The intervention involved a medication review by a hospital pharmacist and geriatrician based on four components: (1) clinical records to draft initial recommendations; (2) consultations with primary care providers to discuss hospital recommendations; (3) patient interviews to assess needs; and (4) a multidisciplinary evaluation of the previous steps to reach final recommendations. 

The study involved 74 older adults who received usual care and 53 older adults who received geriatric stewardship under the intervention. 

Patients who received the intervention reported an average 2.8 drug-related problems 2 weeks after discharge compared with 3.3 drug-related problems reported by those who received care as usual, the study found. 

“The geriatric stewardship did not significantly reduce drug-related problems, but it significantly halved drug-related complaints,” researchers wrote.

Indeed, medication complaints such as pain, drowsiness, or nausea were cut in half with the intervention, according to the study. Additionally, nearly 30% of initial recommendations based on clinical records were altered after consultation with primary care providers and patient interviews. 

—Jolynn Tumolo 

Reference: 

Ponjee GHM, van de Meerendonk HWPC, Janssen MJA, Karapinar-Çarkit F. The effect of an inpatient geriatric stewardship on drug-related problems reported by patients after discharge. Int J Clin Pharm. 2020 Sep 10. doi: 10.1007/s11096-020-01133-x