Psychotropic medication review is a continually developing process, and these results illustrate provider response to the initial 5 months of a new service. During the time frame, PMR notes had been entered for all veterans identified as using antipsychotics or benzodiazepines in the setting of dementia but for only a fraction of those identified as using benzodiazepines who were aged > 75 years. It is reasonable to expect that as prescribers become more familiar with the PMR process and its intentions, they may be more likely to acknowledge recommendations and to respond with the appropriate documentation.
Psychotropic medication reviews were initiated as part of a PGY-2 psychiatric pharmacy residency project, and as such, the impact on the CPS workflow was not evaluated. Although this study suggests that the use of PMR was effective in improving evidence-based prescribing, it does not evaluate whether this process is sustainable in the long-term for the CPS.
Conclusions
The results of this study illustrate the value of a psychiatric CPS. Through the implementation of a simple PMR service, CPSs were able to impact evidence-based prescribing and related documentation. With nearly 50% of the recommendations accepted, the authors believe that use of the PMR is an effective way to deliver provider education and improve safe prescribing practices. Further review of the PMR process will be needed to evaluate the impact and sustainability on CPS workflow.