Category: Federal Forum Posters
Purpose: Since August of 2014, nursing staff at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) Community Living Center (CLC) have been required to place an electronic consult to pharmacy after a resident experiences a fall, prompting a review of their medication regimen. The aim of this project is to analyze the number of targeted medication interventions made within 10 days post-fall prior to and following implementation of the consult service, with goals of demonstrating that pharmacy involvement in post-fall evaluations results in a reduction of polypharmacy, adverse drug events, potential drug-drug interactions, and patients’ subsequent risk of falling.
Methods: Prior to data collection, the project protocol will be submitted to the Institutional Review Board along with the VA Research and Development Committee for approval. The VA Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and fall report records located on the CLC service drive (S:drive) will provide necessary patient fall data in an electronic format. Any patient who experienced a fall while admitted to the CLC prior to (fiscal year 2013) and following (fiscal year 2018) initiation of the consult service will be included. Patients’ fall data will be manually queried to include fifty falls from each fiscal year. The principal and co-investigators will collaborate to confirm that the retrieved patient data meets the inclusion criteria. Baseline characteristics of patients who experienced falls in the CLC, including but not limited to, patients’ age, total medications, number of medications associated with specific adverse effects, number of pharmacy recommendations, and the number and type of pharmacist interventions will be compared. The primary endpoint will encompass the number of medication interventions made based on pharmacist recommendations within 10 days post-fall to demonstrate the impact of pharmacy involvement in the evaluation of medication regimens for patients experiencing falls.
Results: Not applicable.
Conclusion: Not applicable.
Katelyn McBride
– PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH126 Views