COMMUNITY PHARMACIST-LED NEW MEDICINE SERVICE FOR PATIENTS WITH A LONG TERM MEDICAL CONDITION: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Authors

  • Ejaz Cheema Warwick medical school, Gibbet Hill campus, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
  • Paul Sutcliffe Warwick medical school, Gibbet Hill campus, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
  • Donald Rj Singer Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine, 12 Chandos street, London, United Kingdom

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22159/ijpps.2017v9i6.17464

Keywords:

New medicine service, Community pharmacist, Adverse drug reactions

Abstract

Objective: This study assessed the impact of the new medicine service (NMS) on medication use in patients starting a new medication for a long-term medical condition in the United Kingdom (UK).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in community pharmacies in the West Midlands area for three months from July to September 2012. The drug therapies/agents included in the study were antihypertensive, antidiabetics, anti-asthmatics and antiplatelet/anticoagulants.

Results: 20 community pharmacists completed questionnaires related to 285 patients (160 female and 125 male). On the first NMS assessment, 82 patients reported drug-related problems including adverse effects and incorrect use of medications. Of these 82 patients, 58 received pharmacists' advice and 24 did not receive any advice. At the NMS follow up 39 (67%) of the 58 patients who received pharmacists' advice reported resolution of their drug-related problems while only four (17%) of the 24 patients who did not receive pharmacists' advice reported resolution of their problems (odds ratio 10.2, 95% CI 3.0-34.2 p<0.0001). The improvement in the correct use of medications by patients reported in this study for example by improving the inhaler technique of asthmatic patients is expected to have important implications for improving the healthcare outcome of patients with long-term conditions.

Conclusion: This study provides support for the NMS as an opportunity to improve detection of adverse effects and improve the incorrect use of medicines by patients. Further research is needed to address the policy implications of the NMS, including analyses of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of this service, and the sustainability of this form of pharmacist intervention in the long-term in clinical practice.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Vrijens B, Vincze G, Kristanto P, Urquhart J, Burnier M. Adherence to prescribed antihypertensive drug treatments: longitudinal study of electronically compiled dosing histories. Br Med J 2008;336:1114-7.

American Heart Association. A Tough Pill to Swallow: Medication Adherence and Cardiovascular Disease; 2014. Available from: www.Heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/ @wcm/@adv/documents/downloadable/ucm_460769.pdf. [Last accessed on 27 Feb 2017].

Viswanathan M, Golin CE, Jones CD, Ashok M, Blalock SJ, Wines RC, et al. Interventions to improve adherence to self-administered medications for chronic diseases in the United States: a systematic review. Ann Intern Med 2012;157:785-95.

Trueman P, Taylor DG, Lowson K, Bligh A, Meszaros A, Wright D, et al. Evaluation of the Scale, Causes and Costs of Waste Medicines; 2010. Available from: http://eprints.pharmacy.ac.uk/ 2605/1/ Evaluation_of_NHS_Medicines_Waste__web_publication_version.pdf. [Last accessed on 19 Sep 2016]

Barber N, Parsons J, Clifford S, Darracott R, Horne R. Patients' problems with new medication for chronic conditions. Qual Saf Health Care 2004;13:172-5.

Clifford S, Barber N, Elliott R, Hartley E, Horne R. Patient-centred advice is effective in improving adherence to medicines. Pharm World Sci 2006;28:165-70.

Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee. Service specification-New Medicine Service (NMS); 2013. Available from: http://psnc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/NMS-service-spec-Aug-2013-changes_FINAL.pdf. [Last accessed on 18 Aug 2016].

Elliott RA, Boyd MJ, Waring J, Barber N, Mehta R, Chuter A. A randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation with qualitative appraisal comparing the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the New Medicines Service in community pharmacies in England. A Department of Health Policy Research Programme Project; 2014. Available from: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~pazmjb/nms/downloads/report/index.html. [Last accessed on 19 Sep 2016]

Department of Health. Improving the health and well-being of people with long-term conditions. World class services for people with long-term conditions: information tool for commissioners; 2010. Available from: http:// www.yearofcare.co.uk/sites/default/files/pdfs/dh_improving%20the%20h%26wb%20of%20people%20with%20LTCs.pdf. [Last accessed on 22 Aug 2016]

Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee. Evaluation of evidence provided by pharm outcomes New Medicine Service Data; 2012. Available from: http://psnc.org.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2013/07/PO_NMS_data_evaluation_Nov_2012_full_report.pdf. [Last accessed on 22 Aug 2016]

Jadeja M, McCreedy C. Positive effect of new medicine service on community yellow card reporting. P J 2012;289:159-60.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Best practice in reporting of individual case safety reports (ICSRs); 2011. Available from: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/ groups/comms-ic/documents/publication/con108808.pdf. [Last accessed on 18 Aug 2016]

Adepu R, Srikanth MS, Nagaraj S. Impact of an educational intervention on knowledge, attitude, and practices of urban community pharmacists toward adverse drug reaction reporting in a south Indian city. Asian J Pharm Clin Res 2016;9:140-4.

Ravinandan AP, Achutha V, Ramani VK, Kumar SL. Study of knowledge, attitude and practice of pharmacist towards adverse drug reaction reporting in davangere city. Asian J Pharm Clin Res 2015;8:262-5.

Sivadasan S, Sellappan M. A study on the awareness and attitude towards pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reaction reporting among nursing students in a private university, Malaysia. Int J Chem Pharm Res 2015;7:84-9.

Department of Health. Choosing health through pharmacy-a programme for pharmaceutical public health 2005-2015. London: Department of Health; 2005.

Coggans N, McKellar S, Bryson S, Parr R. Evaluation of health promotion development in Greater Glasgow Health Board community pharmacies. P J 2001;266:514-8.

Sinclair H, Bond C, Lennox A, Silcock J, Winfield A, Donnan P. Training pharmacists and pharmacy assistants in the stage-of-change model of smoking cessation: a randomised controlled trial in Scotland. Tobacco Control 1998;7:253-61.

Machado M, Bajcar J, Guzzo GC, Einarson TR. The sensitivity of patient outcomes to pharmacist interventions. Part II: Systematic review and meta-analysis in hypertension management. Ann Pharmacother 2007;41:1770-81.

Morgado MP, Morgado SR, Mendes LC, Pereira LJ, Castelo-branco M. Pharmacist interventions to enhance blood pressure control and adherence to antihypertensive therapy: review and meta-analysis. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2011;68:241-53.

Santschi V, Chiolero A, Burnand B, Colosimo AL, Paradis G. Impact of pharmacist care in the management of cardiovascular disease risk factors a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials. Arch Intern Med 2011;171:1441-53.

Santschi V, Chiolero A, Colosimo AL, Platt RW, Taffe P, Burnier M. Improving blood pressure control through pharmacist interventions: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. J Am Heart Assoc 2014;3:e000718.

Cheema E, Sutcliffe P, Singer D. The impact of interventions by pharmacists in community pharmacies on control of hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2014;78:1238-47.

Mohr DC, Ho J, Duffecy J, Reifler D, Sokol L, Burns MN, et al. Effect of telephone-administered vs face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy on adherence to therapy and depression outcomes among primary care patients: a randomized trial. JAMA 2012;307:2278-85.

Wells K, Thornley T, Boyd M, Boardman H. Views and experiences of community pharmacists and superintendent pharmacists regarding the New Medicine Service in England prior to implementation. Res Soc Adm Pharm 2014;10:58-71.

Schulz M, Verheyen F, Muhlig S, Muller J, Muhlbauer K, Knop-Schneickert E. Pharmaceutical care services for asthma patients: a controlled intervention study. J Clin Pharmacol 2001;41:668-76.

Barbanel D, Eldridge S, Griffiths C. Can a self-management programme delivered by a community pharmacist improve asthma control? A randomised trial. Thorax 2003;58:851-54.

Narhi U, Airaksinen M, Enlund H. Do asthma patients receive sufficient information to monitor their disease-a nationwide survey in Finland? Pharm World Sci 2001;23:242-5.

Herborg H, Soendergaard B, Jorgensen T, Fonnesbaek L, Hepler C, Holst H, et al. Improving drug therapy for patients with asthma-part 2. J Am Pharm Assoc 2001;41:551-9.

Cordina M, McElnay J, Hughes C. Assessment of a community pharmacy-based program for patients with asthma. Pharmacotherapy 2001;21:1196-203.

PGEU policy statement on adherence to medicines. Targeting adherence: Improving Patient Outcomes in Europe through Community Pharmacists’ Intervention; 2008. Available from: http://www.pgeu.eu/policy/5-adherence.html. [Last accessed on 24 Aug 2016].

Published

01-06-2017

How to Cite

Cheema, E., P. Sutcliffe, and D. R. Singer. “COMMUNITY PHARMACIST-LED NEW MEDICINE SERVICE FOR PATIENTS WITH A LONG TERM MEDICAL CONDITION: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY”. International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 9, no. 6, June 2017, pp. 129-33, doi:10.22159/ijpps.2017v9i6.17464.

Issue

Section

Original Article(s)

Most read articles by the same author(s)