Table 1.
Summary of studies, services and outcomes included within the review
| Author | Location | Year | Setting | Study type | Service | Main outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roberts, MS, et al.50 | Australia | 2001 | Nursing home | Randomised controlled trial | Medication review | Reduction in number of medicines |
| King, MA, et al.51 | Australia | 2001 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Medication review | Non‐significant reductions in medication orders, cost and mortality |
| Smith, MA, et al.52 | Australia | 2002 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Medication review | Significant reduction in number of doses of regular medicine prescribed |
| Crotty, M. et al.53 | Australia | 2004 | Residential aged care | Randomised controlled trial | Pharmacist‐supported patient transit from hospital | Improved pain control and hospital usage in intervention arm |
| Beer, C. et al.54 | Australia | 2011 | Residential aged care | Randomised controlled trial | Withdrawal of one target medicine | Trial acceptable to patients |
| Khalil, H.55 | Australia | 2011 | Aged care facility | Service evaluation | Medication review | Clinical recommendations implemented |
| McDerby, N, et al.56 | Australia | 2018 | Residential care home | Controlled trial | Medication administration enhancement service | Significant reduction in inappropriate dosage form modification |
| Verrue, CL, et al.63 | Belgium | 2010 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Training on medication administration | Reduction in medication administration errors |
| Verrue, C, et al.64 | Belgium | 2012 | Nursing home | Controlled study | Medication review service | Modest improvement in medication appropriateness |
| Foubert, K, et al.65 | Belgium | 2019 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Medication review | Majority of recommendations implemented |
| Soon, JA.60 | Canada | 1985 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Adverse drug reaction monitoring programme | Earlier detection and resolution of adverse drug reactions |
| Kroger, E, et al.61 | Canada | 2015 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Medication review | Service to optimise medicines use is feasible |
| Tandun, R, et al.62 | Canada | 2019 | Long‐term care facility | Service evaluation | Proton pump Inhibitor deprescribing intervention | Increased proportion of residents had their proton pump inhibitor discontinued |
| Norgaard, LS. et al.74 | Denmark | 2015 | Residential care setting | Service evaluation | Medication review and medicines reconciliation | Reduction in drug‐related problems |
| Legueline, G. et al.68 | France | 2013 | Nursing home | Controlled study | Medication review | Significant reduction in adverse drug event risk |
| Frankenthal, D, et al.66 | Israel | 2014 | Chronic geriatric facility | Randomised controlled trial | Medication review with STOPP/START | Significant reduction in number of medicines |
| Finkers, F, et al.57 | Netherlands | 2007 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Medication review | Significant reduction in drug‐related problems |
| Stujit, CCM, et al.58 | Netherlands | 2008 | Residential home | Service evaluation | Medication review | Significant improvement in medication appropriateness |
| Stujit, CCM, et al.59 | Netherlands | 2013 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Training in medication administration for patients with dysphagia | Significant reduction in medication administration errors |
| Connolly, MJ, et al.67 | New Zealand | 2014 | Long‐term care facility | Cluster randomised controlled trial |
Nurse‐led staff education Multi‐professional review |
No effect on hospitalisations and mortality. Fewer acute admissions. |
| Ruths, S, et al.87 | Norway | 2003 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | ||
| Bellingan, M, et al.86 | South Africa | 1996 | Elderly care facility | Service evaluation | Medication review | Significant reduction in drug‐related problems and polypharmacy. |
| Jodar‐Sanchez, F, et al.69 | Spain | 2014 | Nursing home | Controlled study | Medication review | Number of medicines significantly reduced. |
| Bergman, A, et al.88 | Sweden | 2006 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Medication appropriateness review | 70% prescriptions potentially inappropriate |
| Kuo, CN, et al.70 | Taiwan | 2013 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Medicines reconciliation | Reduction in medication discrepancies |
| Newman, GR.89 | UK | 1982 | Residential aged care | Service evaluation | Medication handling intervention | Positive feedback on scheme from participants |
| Narula, N, et al.42 | UK | 1992 | Residential home | Service evaluation | Review of medication administration problems | Problem report form developed |
| Rees, JK, et al.43 | UK | 1995 | Residential home | Service evaluation | Medication review | Clinical recommendations implemented. |
| Furniss, L. et al.44 | UK | 2000 | Nursing home | Randomised controlled trial | Significant reduction in medicines. No effect on mortality. | |
| Zermansky, A, et al.45 | UK | 2006 | Care home for elderly people | Randomised controlled trial | Medication review | Significant difference in number of drug changes per patient |
| Alldred, DP, et al.46 | UK | 2007 | Care home for elderly people | Randomised controlled trial | Medication review | Clinical recommendations implemented. |
| Saaed, M, et al.47 | UK | 2010 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Audit medication administration records | Reduction in medication errors |
| Patterson, SM, et al.48 | UK | 2011 | Nursing home | Randomised controlled trial | Medication review | Significant improvement in antipsychotic medication appropriateness |
| Hampson, N.49 | UK | 2012 | Care home | Service evaluation | Medication review | Reduction in medication costs |
| Cooper, JW, et al.17 | USA | 1978 | Long‐term care facility | Service evaluation | Medication review | Number of medicines reduced |
| Cooper, JW.18 | USA | 1985 | Long‐term care facility | Service evaluation | Medication review | Reduction in drug use |
| Andolesk, K.19 | USA | 1987 | Long‐term care facility | Service evaluation | Medication review | Number of medicines reduced |
| Pucino, F.20 | USA | 1988 | Long‐term care facility | Service evaluation | Therapeutic drug monitoring service | Anecdotal improvements in patient control |
| Cooper, JW.21 | USA | 1995 | Nursing facility | Controlled study | Medication review | Significant reduction in hypoglycaemic and hyperglycaemic events in home where pharmacist authorised to make changes independently |
| Cooper, JW.22 | USA | 1997 | Geriatric nursing facility | Service evaluation | Medication review | Clinical recommendations implemented |
| Jeffrey, S, et al.23 | USA | 1999 | Long‐term care facility | Service evaluation | Medication review | Reduction in number of unnecessary medicines |
| Elliott, RA, et al.24 | USA | 1999 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Medication review | Reduction in medication costs |
| Lai, LL, et al.25 | USA | 2001 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Antibiotic medication review | Clinical recommendations implemented |
| Christensen, D, et al.26 | USA | 2004 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Medication review | Reduction in polypharmacy |
| Crotty, M, et al.27 | USA | 2004 | Long‐term care facility | Randomised controlled trial | Medication review | Significant improvement in medication appropriateness |
| Buhr, GT, et al.28 | USA | 2006 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Quality improvement project to improve pain management | Staff pain management knowledge improved |
| Cooper, JW, et al.29 | USA | 2007 | Geriatric nursing facility | Service evaluation | Medication review | Clinical recommendations implemented |
| Hursh, D, et al.30 | USA | 2010 | Nursing facility | Service evaluation | Improving antipsychotic medication use | Reduced antipsychotic medication use |
| Gunning, K et al.31 | USA | 2010 | Assisted living facility | Service evaluation | Integration of pharmacists into team | Students valued the experience, felt valued as medication experts |
| Lapane, KL, et al.32 | USA | 2011 | Nursing home | Randomised controlled trial | Implementation of Geriatric Risk Assessment MedGuide | Significantly lower rate of potential delirium onset |
| Motycka, C, et al.33 | USA | 2012 | Long‐term care facility | Service evaluation | Warfarin medication review | Significantly greater proportion of patients in therapeutic range |
| Zarowitz, BJ, et al.34 | USA | 2012 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Quality improvement project to improve methotrexate administration | Reduction in methotrexate administration errors |
| Nye, A.35 | USA | 2012 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Medication review | Clinical recommendations implemented |
| Phillippe, HM.36 | USA | 2012 | Long‐term care facility | Service evaluation | Anticoagulation service | Improved time in therapeutic range |
| Lemay, CA, et al.37 | USA | 2013 | Nursing home | Survey | Education needs for staff regarding antipsychotic medication | Multifaceted intervention to improve care home staff knowledge regarding antipsychotics required |
| Kane‐Gill, SL, et al.39 | USA | 2016 | Nursing home | Randomised controlled trial | Adverse drug reaction management training | Improvement in physician assessment of consultant pharmacist importance and performance |
| Gemelli, MG, et al.40 | USA | 2016 | Long‐term care facility | Service evaluation | Medication review focussed on anxiolytics and hypnotics | Dose reduction and treatment discontinuations seen |
| Sasson, E, et al.38 | USA | 2017 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Pharmacy‐led psychopharmacology round | Reduction in antipsychotic medication use seen |
| Bach, LL, et al.41 | USA | 2017 | Nursing home | Service evaluation | Medication review focused on antipsychotic medication | Decline in antipsychotic medication use observed |