Pharmacist services provided in general practice clinics
Citation: Tan E, Stewart K, Elliott R, et al. Pharmacist services provided in general practice clinics: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy 2014; 10: 608-22
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What is this? The COVID-19 pandemic is placing a strain on healthcare services. Existing research on the effects of collaborative practices between pharmacists and general practitioners might provide useful information for policy makers, for example for the control of risk factors for complications and poor outcomes of COVID-19, such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity, and for improving patient outcomes.
In this systematic review, the authors searched for randomized trials of the impact of co-locating pharmacists in general practitioner practices and collaborative working with practice staff. They restricted their search to studies published in English between 1966 and 2013. They included 38 studies. The studies included specific patient populations (for example, patients with cardiovascular disease) (29 studies) or wider patient populations (9). The reviewers did not formally assess the certainty (quality) of the evidence, but they did a risk of bias assessment for each trial.
What was found: Providing pharmacist services in general practice was associated with improvements in blood pressure, blood glucose control, cholesterol levels, and cardiovascular risk-scores, compared to usual care.
Pharmacist interventions in general practice appeared to improve the quality and appropriateness of prescribing.
No impact was reported from pharmacist interventions in general practice on symptoms, quality of life, patient satisfaction and medical costs.
The cost-effectiveness, long-term health impacts, and feasibility of co-locating pharmacist services in general practice are uncertain.