Impact of Medication Reviews Delivered by Community Pharmacist to Elderly Patients on Polypharmacy: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective The aim of the study was to assess the impact of medication reviews delivered by community pharmacists to elderly patients on polypharmacy. Methods A systematic literature search was performed in four bibliographic databases/search engine (PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, and IPA) and three gray literature sources (OpenGrey, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Digital Access to Research Theses – Europe) from inception to January 2018. Randomized controlled trials were selected if they met the following criteria: ( a ) studied in patients 65 years or older who were taking four or more prescribed medications; ( b ) the “test” interventions were delivered by community pharmacists; and ( c ) measured one of these following outcomes: hospitalization, emergency department (ED) visit, quality of life, or adherence. Quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care Group risk of bias tool. Random-effects model meta-analyses were performed. Results Of the 3634 articles screened, four studies with a total of 4633 participants were included. The intervention provided in all included studies was clinical medication review. Three studies were at low risk of bias, and the remaining study had unclear risk of bias. When compared with usual care, medication reviews provided by community pharmacist significantly reduced risk of ED visits (risk ratio = 0.68; 95% confidence interval = 0.48–0.96). There was also a tendency that pharmacist interventions decreased risk of hospitalizations ( risk ratio = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.78–1.00), although no statistical significant. Conclusions The current evidence demonstrates that clinical medication reviews for older people with polypharmacy reduces the risk of ED visits. Medication reviews can be considered as another area where community pharmacists can contribute to improve patient safety.