Evaluation of An Inpatient Pharmacy Consult on Discharge Medications in Bariatric Surgery Patients

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of an inpatient pharmacy consult on discharge medications following bariatric surgery. Methods: A pharmacy consult for discharge medication review for bariatric surgery patients was instituted at an academic medical center. The intervention included conducting a medication history, reviewing home medications for updates post-bariatric surgery, creating and documenting a discharge medication plan, and providing patient education. The impact of the intervention was evaluated by comparing medication classes, doses, and formulations prescribed during the intervention relative to a historical control group. Results: The study included 85 patients who received pharmacist intervention and 167 patients who did not receive pharmacist intervention following bariatric surgery. The prescription of an extended-release medication at discharge in the intervention group was reduced by 19.3% (28.7% vs. 9.4%, p = 0.0005). For patients on hypertension medications, 94.0% had their regimen reduced in the intervention group compared with 37.5% of patients in the control group (p < 0.001). Of patients on insulin at baseline, 87.5% of patients in the intervention group had dose reductions at discharge vs. 66.7% of patients in the control group (p = 0.37). No patients in the intervention group were discharged with oral antihyperglycemic medications or non-insulin injectable medications vs. 33.3% (p = 0.12) and 20.0% (p = 0.47), respectively, in the control group. Readmission rates at 30 days were insignificantly lower in the intervention group (3.5% vs. 4.2%, p = 1). Conclusions: Clinical pharmacist involvement in the discharge medication reconciliation process for bariatric surgery patients reduced prescribing of unadjusted medication classes, doses, and drug formulations.