Published Online
on August 19, 2009

A more recent version of this article appeared on September 1, 2009

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Original Article

The effectiveness of collaborative medicine reviews in delaying time to next hospitalisation for heart failure patients in the practice setting: results of a cohort study.

Elizabeth E. Roughead^1,4; John D. Barratt¹; Emmae Ramsay²; Nicole Pratt²; Philip Ryan²; Robert Peck³; Graeme Killer³ and Andrew L. Gilbert¹

¹ University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia;
² University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia;
³ Department of Veterans' Affairs, Canberra, Australia

^* Corresponding author; email: libby.roughead{at}unisa.edu.au

Background—Randomised controlled trials have demonstrated that collaborative medication reviews can improve outcomes for patients with heart failure. We aimed to determine if these results translated into Australian practice, where collaborative reviews are nationally funded.

Methods and Results—This retrospective cohort study using administrative claims data included veterans 65 years and over receiving bisoprolol, carvedilol or metoprolol succinate for which prescribing physicians indicated treatment was for heart failure. We compared those exposed to a general practitioner–pharmacist collaborative home medication review with those who did not receive the service. The service includes physician referral, a home visit by an accredited pharmacist to identify medication-related problems, a pharmacist report with follow-up undertaken by the physician. Kaplan-Meier analyses and Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare time to next hospitalization for heart failure between the exposed and unexposed groups. There were 273 veterans exposed to a home medicines review and 5444 unexposed patients. Average age in both groups was 81.6 years (no significant difference). Median number of comorbidities was 8 in the exposed group and 7 in the unexposed (p <0.0001). Unadjusted results showed a 37% reduction in rate of hospitalization for heart failure at any time (HR 0.63; 95%CI 0.44-0.89). Adjusted results showed a 45% reduction (HR, 0.55 95% CI, 0.39-0.77) amongst those that had received a home medicines reviewe compared to the unexposed patients.

Conclusion—Medicines review in the practice setting is effective in delaying time to next hospitalization for heart failure in those treated with heart failure medicines.

Key Words: heart failure • morbidity • hospitalization • medicine reviews