The Problem
Preventable drug therapy problems (DTPs) such as medication errors and nonadherence are major drivers of preventable emergency visits, hospitalizations, and readmissions.
- Preventable adverse drug events are responsible for substantial patient morbidity and mortality, accounting for health expenditures of $177 billion annually, and hospital admissions and readmissions account for 70% of the total.
- Medication nonadherence is linked to increased rates of stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and all‐cause mortality.
- Patients with multiple chronic conditions (MCC), polypharmacy, and high social complexity (i.e. mental health issues, low health literacy, limited income, lack of transportation, and low social support) are at particularly high risk, and account for the majority of high repeat utilization of inpatient services.
- These vulnerable high- cost patients are particularly likely to benefit from care coordination by patient-centered medical home (PCMH)-based care transitions teams focused on medication and chronic disease management.
The Solution
The SafeMed Program is a care transitions program with an emphasis on medication management designed to use a multidisciplinary approach to improve transitions of care from hospital to home for super-utilizing patients with multiple chronic conditions and polypharmacy.