LAUSR

BACKGROUND Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are common among community dwelling elderly patients, but most ADRs go undetected and untreated. We investigated if the addition of an inter-professional student-led medication review team (ISP-team) to standard care can increase the number of detected and managed ADRs and reduce the number of ADRs 3 months after an outpatient visit. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In this controlled clinical trial, patients visiting a memory outpatient clinic were allocated to standard care (control group) or standard care plus the ISP team (intervention group). The ISP team consisted of medical and pharmacy students and student nurse practitioners. The team performed a medication and ADR interview, performed a structured medication review and adjusted medication to reduce the number of ADRs. Three months after the outpatient visit, a clinical pharmacologist who was blinded for allocation performed a follow-up telephone interview to determine whether patients experienced ADRs. RESULTS The data of 142 patients were analysed. During the outpatient clinic visit, significantly more (p<0.001) ADRs were detected in the intervention group (n=48) than in the control group (n=10). In both groups, 60-63% of all detected ADRs were managed. Three months after the outpatient visit, significantly fewer (predominantly mild and moderately severe) ADRs related to benzodiazepine derivatives and antihypertensive causing dizziness were detected in the patients of the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS An ISP team in addition to standard care increases the detection and management of ADRs in elderly patients attending an outpatient memory clinic, resulting in fewer mild and moderately severe ADRs.