RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Improving the Effectiveness of Medication Review: Guidance from the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP 18
OP 23
DO 10.3122/jabfm.2016.01.150163
VO 29
IS 1
A1 Barry D. Weiss
A1 Angela G. Brega
A1 William G. LeBlanc
A1 Natabhona M. Mabachi
A1 Juliana Barnard
A1 Karen Albright
A1 Maribel Cifuentes
A1 Cindy Brach
A1 David R. West
YR 2016
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/29/1/18.abstract
AB Background: Although routine medication reviews in primary care practice are recommended to identify drug therapy problems, it is often difficult to get patients to bring all their medications to office visits. The objective of this study was to determine whether the medication review tool in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit can help to improve medication reviews in primary care practices.Methods: The toolkit's “Brown Bag Medication Review” was implemented in a rural private practice in Missouri and an urban teaching practice in California. Practices recorded outcomes of medication reviews with 45 patients before toolkit implementation and then changed their medication review processes based on guidance in the toolkit. Six months later we conducted interviews with practice staff to identify changes made as a result of implementing the tool, and practices recorded outcomes of medication reviews with 41 additional patients. Data analyses compared differences in whether all medications were brought to visits, the number of medications reviewed, drug therapy problems identified, and changes in medication regimens before and after implementation.Results: Interviews revealed that practices made the changes recommended in the toolkit to encourage patients to bring medications to office visits. Evaluation before and after implementation revealed a 3-fold increase in the percentage of patients who brought all their prescription medications and a 6-fold increase in the number of prescription medications brought to office visits. The percentage of reviews in which drug therapy problems were identified doubled, as did the percentage of medication regimens revised.Conclusions: Use of the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit can help to identify drug therapy problems.