title: Safety-focused medication therapy management: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of a medication therapy management (MTM) intervention on adverse drug events (ADEs), health care visits, and drug-related problems (DRPs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, controlled, clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic medical center community pharmacies and family medicine clinics at three U.S. sites between December 2007 and January 2010
  
  
  METHODS
  Individuals aged 65 years or older with three or more chronic illnesses, six or more prescription medications, and at risk for a DRP.
  
  
  METHODS
  At 0 and 3 months, pharmacists conducted comprehensive medication reviews and screened for and resolved DRPs through patient education and recommendations to physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Frequency of ADEs reported by patients and confirmed by clinical algorithm, health care visits at 3 and 6 months, and number of DRPs, pharmacist recommendations, and medication discrepancies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  637 participants enrolled. No differences were observed in potential ADEs or health care visits among the usual care and MTM groups. DRPs declined in both MTM intervention groups over time. Physicians responded to 54.6% of pharmacist recommendations. Enhanced MTM patients had fewer medication list discrepancies than basic MTM patients (33.8% vs. 47.1%, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This specific design of MTM was associated with reduced DRPs but did not reduce potential ADEs or health care visits.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 S. Wood St., Chicago, IL 60612, USA. drtouche@uic.edu
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Touchette
authors.forename: Andrew L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Masica
authors.forename: Rowena J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Dolor
authors.forename: Glen T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Schumock
authors.forename: Young Ku
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yoonsang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054539:Medication Therapy Management / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*