Medication-related Problems in Intensive Care Unit Survivors: Learning from a Multicenter Program

Few data measure the problems critically ill patients have with medications after hospital discharge, which medications are involved, and how severe the consequences are. Here, Hogg et al present a study that aims to assess the prevalence and severity of medication-related problems in intensive care unit (ICU) survivors and explore pain management strategies. They did so among patients attending a five-site post-ICU program in Scotland between Sep 2016 and June 2018. The multicenter study has demonstrated that over 60% of ICU patients have issues with medicines in the post-hospital discharge period, with a large proportion of these issues related to psychiatric and pain medications. Longer durations of ICU treatment and complex ICU discharge prescriptions were identified as risk factors for a medication-related problem. These results are contextualized by evidence that providing a pharmacy review at transitions of care can improve safety and reduce 30-day hospital readmission in patients with heart failure and primary care patients.