Safer Prescribing and Care for the Elderly (SPACE): a cluster randomised controlled trial in general practice

Katharine A Wallis; Carolyn Raina Elley; Simon A Moyes; Arier Lee; Joanna F Hikaka; Ngaire M Kerse

doi:10.3399/BJGPO.2021.0129

BJGP Open (Mar 2022)

Safer Prescribing and Care for the Elderly (SPACE): a cluster randomised controlled trial in general practice

Katharine A Wallis,
Carolyn Raina Elley,
Simon A Moyes,
Arier Lee,
Joanna F Hikaka,
Ngaire M Kerse

Affiliations

Katharine A Wallis: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Carolyn Raina Elley: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Simon A Moyes: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Arier Lee: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Joanna F Hikaka: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Ngaire M Kerse: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGPO.2021.0129
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 6, no. 1

Abstract

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Background: Safer prescribing in general practice may help to decrease preventable adverse drug events (ADE) and related hospitalisations. Aim: To test the effect of the Safer Prescribing and Care for the Elderly (SPACE) intervention on high-risk prescribing of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and/or antiplatelet medicines and related hospitalisations. Design & setting: A pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial in general practice. Participants were patients at increased risk of ADEs from NSAIDs and/or antiplatelet medicines at baseline. SPACE comprises automated search to generate for each GP a list of patients with high-risk prescribing; pharmacist outreach to provide education and one-on-one review of list with GP; and automated letter inviting patients to seek medication review with their GP. Method: The primary outcome was the difference in high-risk prescribing of NSAIDs and/or antiplatelet medicines at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were high-risk prescribing for gastrointestinal, renal, or cardiac ADEs separately, 12-month outcomes, and related ADE hospitalisations. Results: Thirty-nine practices were recruited with 205 GPs and 191 593 patients, of which 21 877 (11.4%) were participants. Of the participants, 1479 (6.8%) had high-risk prescribing. High-risk prescribing improved in both groups at 6 and 12 months compared with baseline. At 6 months, there was no significant difference between groups (odds ratio [OR] 0.99; 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 0.87 to 1.13) although SPACE improved more for gastrointestinal ADEs (OR 0.81; 95% CI = 0.68 to 0.96). At 12 months, the control group improved more (OR 1.29; 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.49). There was no significant difference for related hospitalisations. Conclusion: Further work is needed to identify scalable interventions that support safer prescribing in general practice. The use of automated search and feedback plus letter to patient warrants further exploration.

Published in BJGP Open

ISSN: 2398-3795 (Online)
Publisher: Royal College of General Practitioners
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine: Medicine (General)
Website: https://bjgpopen.org/

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