Background Elderly patients with multiple diagnoses and drug use consume a lot of primary care. A healthcare centre in a city with a high proportion of elderly people, started a geriatric team including physician, nurse, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, dietitian, counsellor and a pharmacist to provide team-based care for these patients.

Purpose The purpose of the study was to evaluate the involvement of a pharmacist in a team-based care for elderly patients in primary care. The role of the pharmacist was to provide medication reconciliation (MR), appropriate medication and identify drug-related problems prior to the patient’s visit to the physician.

Material and methods The pharmacist met the patient in the health centre and the patient was asked to either bring drugs or a medication list to the visit. The pharmacist conducted a medication review, and evaluated medication adherence and compliance. The patient was allowed to ask the pharmacist about the drugs. The pharmacist prepared a written report for the physician with findings and recommendations concerning the medicine managements for the patient. The findings were also forwarded to the geriatric team during a team conference once-weekly. Patients and physicians were asked to evaluate the meeting with the pharmacist through a questionnaire.

Results During 2016, the pharmacist met 60 patients, aged 61 to 94, 70% females. Thirty-three patients received the questionnaire (aged 61 to 93, 70% females), and 31 responded. Eighty-six per cent of patients were satisfied with the visit to the pharmacist, and 85% stated they had received answers for their questions. Doctors were asked to evaluate the pharmacist’s intervention prior to the meeting between patient and physician on a scale from 1 to 5, (5 referring to ‘very satisfied’ and 1 to ‘not satisfied’). The mean value of 19 responding physicians was 4.3.

Conclusion The involvement of a pharmacist in a geriatric team at a healthcare centre is appreciated by the patients and the doctors. The results such as drug appropriateness for each patient, and adherence and number of drug-related problems needs to be further evaluated.

References and/or Acknowledgements Special thanks to colleagues at the healthcare centre; Dr Cédric Arrivé and nurse Marina Vestberg Kahlson.

No conflict of interest