title: TransitionRx: Impact of community pharmacy postdischarge medication therapy management on hospital readmission rate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if a community pharmacy-based transition of care (TOC) program that included the full scope of medication therapy management (MTM) services (TransitionRx) decreased hospital readmissions, resolved medication-related problems, and increased patient satisfaction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, quasi-experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine Kroger Pharmacies located in Western Cincinnati.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients older than 18 years of age and discharged from two local hospitals with a diagnosis of congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or pneumonia. Patients were recruited from two local hospitals and referred to the community pharmacy for MTM services with the pharmacist within 1 week of discharge.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pharmacists reconciled the patients' medications, identified drug therapy problems, recommended changes to therapy, and provided self-management education. At 30 days after discharge, research personnel conducted telephone surveys, using a previously validated survey instrument, to assess hospital readmissions and patient satisfaction. Pharmacist interventions and medication-related problems were documented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 90 patients completed the study. Of these, 20% of patients in the usual care group were admitted to the hospital within 30 days compared with 6.9% of patients in the intervention group (P = 0.019). In the 30 patients who received MTM services from the pharmacist, 210 interventions were made. The overall mean patient satisfaction with the TOC process was not significantly different between patients who were seen by the pharmacist and those who were not seen by the pharmacist.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community pharmacies successfully collaborated with hospitals to develop a referral process for TOC interventions. Patients who received MTM services from the pharmacist experienced significantly fewer readmissions than patients who received usual care.
authors.forename: Heidi R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Luder
authors.forename: Stacey M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Frede
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Epplen
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cavanaugh
authors.forename: Jill E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Martin-Boone
authors.forename: Wayne F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Conrad
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuhlmann
authors.forename: Pamela C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Heaton
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054539:Medication Therapy Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009820:Ohio; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015397:Program Evaluation