EFFECTS OF AN EDUCATION-PROGRAM FOR COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS ON DETECTING DRUG-RELATED PROBLEMS IN ELDERLY PATIENTS

Community pharmacists are in a position to assume increased responsibi lity for preventing and resolving drug-related problems in ambulatory patients. Such an expanded role is mandated under provisions of the Om nibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. The need for pharmacist overs ight of drug therapy may be most acute in elderly patients. This study reports on a program to teach community pharmacists a process of asse ssing drug therapy of elderly patients and intervening to correct prob lems. Community pharmacists (N = 102) were assigned to treatment and c ontrol conditions. Both groups targeted patients meeting criteria and enrolled them into the study. Treatment group pharmacists, who partici pated in a training program, also assessed the medication use of enrol led patients to identify and resolve medication-related problems. Pati ents (N = 762) were telephoned by researchers 1 month after enrollment for an interview. Comparisons between treatment and control group pat ients were made on reports of pharmacist activities, knowledge of regi mens, compliance, and potential drug therapy problems, such as interac tions and side effects. Treatment patients were more likely to report that pharmacists provided information and assessed for problems than w ere control patients. These differences were maintained on 3-month fol low-up questionnaires. No differences were found on the odds that pati ents indicated misunderstanding of regimens, non-compliance, or potent ial therapeutic problems.