Impact of pharmacist-led interprofessional medication reviews on the drug regimen of nursing home residents: an observational study

Abstract Objectives We evaluated the impact of pharmacist-led interprofessional medication reviews in nursing homes on the optimization of drug therapy, inappropriate medication use, and costs. Methods Polypharmacy concerns more than 80% of Swiss nursing home residents, and approximately three-quarters of them receive at least one potentially inappropriate medication (PIM). The residents living in nursing homes where medication reviews by pharmacists were usually performed were allocated to the intervention group if they were included in a medication review during the study period (from July 2020 to September 2021). The control group included residents living in nursing homes where medication reviews were never performed. The primary outcomes were the change in the number of regular drugs prescribed, the number of PIMs, and drug costs over 12 months. Key findings Eighty-nine residents were included in the intervention group and 85 in the control group. Over 12 months, a truncated negative binomial regression analysis showed a significant decrease of 204 Swiss francs in drug costs per 6 months and a reduction in the number of drugs prescribed over 12 months (mean difference 0.8) in the intervention group compared with the control group. We also found a significant reduction in PIMs in the intervention group. Conclusions Pharmacist-led interprofessional medication reviews may reduce drug costs and the number of unnecessary and potentially harmful drugs in nursing homes.