Reducing Cardiovascular Medication Complexity in a German University Hospital: Effects of a Structured Pharmaceutical Management Intervention on Adherence

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Patient adherence is necessary for successful medication therapy. However, highly complex medication regimens may lead to poor adherence, which decreases the effectiveness of treatment and often results in treatment failure, excessive morbidity and mortality, and higher costs.

Medication regimen complexity in institutionalized elderly people in an aging society

“…However, several studies have investigated the positive impact of intervention aimed at reducing the complexity of medication regimens whenever possible [18,31].…”

“…Like Stange [18], the most relevant factors found for complexity were schedule (section B of the MRCI-frequency of doses), followed by pharmaceutical forms and additional instructions. Here, specialized intervention by a healthcare professional, particularly a pharmacist, may be more effective in reducing it in a medication review [18].…”

“…Here, specialized intervention by a healthcare professional, particularly a pharmacist, may be more effective in reducing it in a medication review [18].…”

“…Stange [18] and Elliott [19] identified dosing frequency as the simplification with the highest potential, especially in inpatients, followed by the number of dose units and the time of administration-Sections B and C of the MRCI.…”

Factors associated with medication regimen complexity in older people: a cross-sectional population-based study

“…The MRCI has been used to compute regimen complexity in inpatient and outpatient settings among people with diabetes [11,12], cardiovascular disease [13], depression [14], multimorbidity [15] and those receiving nocturnal home haemodialysis [16]. Studies have been conducted in hospital inpatients [2,6,8,17,18], and in nursing homes [19].…”