Effect of a Pharmacist Intervention on Clinically Important Medication Errors After Hospital Discharge [article]

Ann Intern Med. 3 July 2012;157(1):1-10

A study looking at pharmacist-assited med rec, counseling and telephone follow-up after dischage for adults hospitalized with acute coronary syndromes or acute decompensated heart failure. According to the article pharmacist intervention didn’t do much in the way of reducing “clinically important medication errors“, but may have led to fewer potential ADEs.

The article concludes that “Clinically important medication errors were present among one half of patients after hospital discharge and were not significantly reduced by a health-literacy–sensitive, pharmacist-delivered intervention.”

Not exactly the outcome I’d hoped to see. It would be nice to have read the entire article, but a subscription is required for full access. Stymied again.

One interesting note: I didn’t see a single pharmacist listed as an author. I find that rather lame.