Patients better with pharmacy
September 15, 2010
A POST-discharge service offered
by pharmacists for patients exiting
hospital on warfarin could
potentially save the Australian
healthcare system $6.4m per
annum, according to researchers
from the School of Pharmacy, at
the University of Tasmania.
The comments come on the back
of a recent ‘collaborative approach’
study, which saw researchers from
the University of Tasmania,
University of SA, University of NSW,
Sydney Uni and the University of
Wollongong band together to trial a
post-discharge service based on the
existing home medicines review
program.
The year-long project saw a
radical expansion of the traditional
role of the pharmacist, with 268
warfarin patients enrolled in the
trial, 139 of which received usual
care and 129 receiving between
two and three home visits from a
trained accredited pharmacist
within the first eight to ten days
following hospitalisation.
As part of the home visits,
patients would receive point-of-care
INR monitoring, warfarin education
and a home medication review.
According to the researchers, it
was evident during the trial that
collaboration between healthcare
professionals including the patient’s
GP, community pharmacist and
home visiting pharmacist was
“integral to the provision of the
service”.
Healthcare savings were then
estimated using an economic
analysis of the costs associated with
usual care and hospital readmissions.
“The research demonstrated that
conducting post-discharge HMRs,
focused specifically on warfarin,
offer significant benefits, not only
reducing patients’ risk of bleeding
and clotting problems but also
increasing their knowledge about
warfarin,” said researcher,
University of Tasmania PhD student
Leanne Stafford.
“The management of warfarinrelated
adverse events place a
significant financial burden on the
healthcare system.
“One of the significant
advantages of this service was that
it not only benefitted individual
patients, but also reduced the costs
associated with warfarin use to the
healthcare system which indirectly
benefits us all,” she added.
Report authors also concluded
that the home INR monitoring was
especially beneficial for patients
with mobility and transport issues,
and that framing warfarin education
sessions in familiar home environments
“was also highly appreciated.
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