EXAMINING THE EFFECT OF PHARMACISTS' VISITS TO HOMEBOUND PATIENTS ON THE ELIMINATION OF UNUSED DRUGS – A REPORT FROM A HEALTH AND LABOUR SCIENCES STUDY –
Author(s)
Onda M1, Kasuga M1, Fujii S1, Nanaumi Y2, Imai H3
1Osaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan, 2Advanced Pharma Research office, Nara, Japan, 3National Institute of Public Health, Wako, Saitama, Japan
OBJECTIVES: This study sought to examine the effect of pharmacists’ visits to homebound patients on the elimination of unused drugs. METHODS: We conducted a survey with pharmacies throughout Japan that provided home visiting service, requesting their home-visiting pharmacists to respond to questions regarding their work with up to five homebound patients (the survey period was January 15, 2013 through the end of February, 2013). Main survey questions were: (1) have you handled unused drugs since the home visits started? and (2) how did you handle the unused drugs? For (2), we conducted case studies by asking the pharmacists to choose the case that impressed them most and describe chronologically the unused drugs involved, the action taken, and what followed the action. RESULTS: Data on 5,447 patients was collected from 1,890 pharmacies throughout Japan (collection rate: 56.9%). Pharmacists handled unused drugs of 2,484 patients (45.6%). 1,718 patients (3,593 cases) were qualified for analysis. In 2,334 cases (65%), the incidences of unused drugs were eliminated after pharmacists’ intervention. In 782 cases (21.8%), unused drugs were discarded, while in 2,624 cases (73.0%), the number of days of drug administration was adjusted. In 21 cases (0.6%), drugs were both discarded and had the number of days adjusted. There were no responses for 166 cases (4.6%). The total price of the unused drugs that were eliminated was approximately 6,800,000 yen (4,000 yen/person). The top three illnesses with the best effects from the elimination of unused drugs were chronic respiratory failure (approximately 16,500 yen/person), Parkinson's disease (approximately 5,000 yen/person), and cancer (approximately 4,300 yen/person). CONCLUSIONS: We were able to confirm the economic effect of eliminating unused drugs by pharmacists’ home visits.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2014-05, ISPOR 2014, Palais des Congres de Montreal
Value in Health, Vol. 17, No. 3 (May 2014)
Code
PHP37
Topic
Health Service Delivery & Process of Care
Topic Subcategory
Prescribing Behavior
Disease
Multiple Diseases