29 JUL 2012
Many heart patients make mistakes with their medications after hospital discharge that could lead to clinically important adverse outcomes. Patients who are most vulnerable are the elderly, those with impaired cognitive function or low health literacy, or patients who are prescribed numerous or high-risk medications. These outcomes could be prevented, or their severity could be reduced with appropriate interventions. Researchers randomly assigned 831 adults hospitalized for acute coronary syndromes or acute decompensated heart failure to either usual care or usual care plus a pharmacist intervention (check of medication accuracy, in-patient counseling, patient-education materials, telephone follow-up). In the 30 days following hospitalization, one half of the patients had a clinically important medication error, regardless of whether they were in the usual care or pharmacist intervention group. The researchers conclude that more work is needed to help prevent medication errors in cardiac patients.
Related articles
- News From The Annals Of Internal Medicine: July 3, 2012 (medicalnewstoday.com)
- Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for July 3, 2012, issue (eurekalert.org)
- Medication adherence after hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome (medicalnewstoday.com)