Abstract
The drug therapy used in treatments for patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID) is generally polypharmacy. We conducted this study to investigate whether or not intervention by pharmacists would be useful for prescription adjustment or reduction of nursing task load. The subjects included 134 patients with SMID who had been hospitalized, and investigational drugs were the agents which had not been changed for the past 6 months in prescriptions. The subjects had been evaluated and classified in advance by pharmacists into two groups: 84 patients who would need interventions and 50 patients who would not. For 84 patients who were considered as “intervention required”, prescriptions were reconsidered by the pharmacists along with physicians; a total of 132 drugs were reduced in 69 out of 84 patients at 2.0 drugs (1.1-2.2) / day / person (median [interquartile range: 25-75%]). The most common reason for the drug reduction was “stabilized disease status” reported by 43 subjects, and the drugs which had been commonly reduced included anti-epileptic agents and laxatives. Consequently, the drug cost was reduced at 134.7 (54.1-215.3) yen / day / person (mean [95% confidence interval: the lower-upper limit). After the intervention, a questionnaire survey was conducted in nurses. It was assumed that prescription intervention by pharmacists resulted in reduction of drug-related task load. According to the results, it was suggested that prescription intervention by pharmacists for patients with SMID may contribute to adjustment of prescriptions, reduction of medical cost, as well as reduction of nursing task load.
