Facilitating the transfer of care from secondary to primary care: a scoping review to understand the role of pharmacists in general practice

Abstract

Background Limited published research exists on the role of pharmacists in general practice (primary care pharmacists) in facilitating post-hospital discharge care of patients. Aim To summarise and map the nature and extent of current evidence on the role of primary care pharmacists in facilitating patient discharge from secondary to primary care and to inform future practice and research. Method Six electronic databases were systematically searched from inception to March 2022 for studies published in the English language that described and/or evaluated primary care pharmacist-led interventions for patients following hospital discharge. Grey literature and reference lists of included studies were also searched. Two authors independently screened articles for selection. A structured, pilot-tested form was used for data extraction. Results Twenty articles were included. The majority of studies (n = 17; 85%) were conducted in the USA. The most frequently reported intervention made by primary care pharmacists were medication reviews (n = 18) and medication reconciliation (n = 16). Studies have demonstrated the emerging roles of pharmacists involving collaboration with other healthcare professionals, review of laboratory monitoring, referrals, and follow-up. A wide range of outcomes such as the impact on hospital readmission rates, healthcare utilisation and reduction of potential adverse drug events were reported. Conclusion Pharmacists in general practice can offer a range of interventions in facilitating transfer of care of patients from secondary to primary care with positive patient and healthcare utilisation outcomes. However, more rigorous research evidence is required to establish the effectiveness, generalisability, acceptability, and sustainability of these services.

Intervention for a correct medication list and medication use in older adults: a non-randomised feasibility study among inpatients and residents during care transitions

“…Hence, treatment issues in the form of discrepancies in, and patients’ non-adherence to, prescribed medications for chronic illnesses need to be examined in relation to the healthcare system in order to identify the sources of error. One source of medication error is care transitions, where patients are at high risk of being exposed to medication discrepancies and errors, which could lead to adverse clinical outcomes and increased healthcare costs [ 5 – 9 ].…”