“This is the first completed randomised controlled trial (RCT) to look at improving appropriate prescribing in older people in a primary care setting in Ireland,” said Dr Barbara Clyne, a HRB-funded researcher at the RCSI, and the lead author on the paper.
The findings are published today in the journal ‘Annals of Family Medicine’.
“Our findings indicated that after a relatively short intervention, namely a half-hour visit from a pharmacist to a GP to go through indicators of prescribing quality in older people, followed by the GP using a special software package to conduct a review of medication, we were able to reduce the likelihood of inappropriate prescribing in nearly 50 per cent of patients in our intervention group.”
Mr Graham Love the HRB Chief Executive said “primary care is the first point of call for many people who are ill, so it is essential that treatment is given based on solid evidence for the best patient outcomes.
“This study demonstrates the value of conducting research in primary care to ensure people get the right care at the right time and the health system benefits from lower costs and less pressure in acute services over time”.
