[Strategies to improve the quality of care in the chronic patient on multiple medications]

Objective: To carry out an evaluation of the impact on the number of patients in the risk situation due to safety problems with the medications after compliance with a program to improve the quality of care of the chronic patient on multiple medications in the Health Area of Santiago de Compostela.

Method: The intervention program consisted of the design of a computer tool that would allow the detection and stratification of the risk of patients with potential safety problems with medications. The program included sessions and pop-ups on the quality of the prescription and the systematic periodic communication of the results on the use of the prescriptions to the doctors and pharmacists of Primary Care. A one-year time horizon was considered.

Results: In January 2018, there were 9,874 patients at risk due to potential safety problems related to medicines in the Health Area of Santiago de Compostela. At the end of December 2018, the patients at risk had fallen to 5,797 patients (41.2% reduction; P<.05).

Conclusions: The design of computer tools that allow the use of the information available from the electronic prescription using standardised protocols, along with the team work of hospital pharmacists and primary care pharmacists, the collaboration between physicians, nurses and pharmacists, as well as the design of information adapted to the computer equipment and the stratification of the risk have all been actions with very positive results in the decrease in exposure of chronic patients to risk situations related to medications.