Evaluation Of Pharmacist Impact On Antipsychotic And...

Abstract Title: Evaluation of pharmacist impact on antipsychotic and benzodiazepine utilization in veterans with dementia Purpose: It has been well established that use of Antipsychotics (APs) and Benzodiazepines (BZDs) in the elderly population is associated with increased incidence of adverse effects including sedation, falls, and cognitive impairment. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) introduced the Psychotropic Drug Safety Initiative (PDSI) to improve evidence-based psychotropic drug prescribing for Veterans with mental illness. This initiative aims to address possible issues with pharmacotherapy such as overprescribing, clinical management, and inappropriate indications.1 The purpose of this project is to assess the impact of recommendations made by a pharmacist on the utilization of APs and BZDs in patients with dementia. Methods: This retrospective review will be conducted at the Robley Rex Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Louisville, Kentucky. Veterans will be selected for evaluation through the PDSI dashboard. All Veterans identified as actionable on September 15, 2016 will be eligible for selection. Veterans will be excluded if they are receiving hospice care or have had their AP or BZD therapy reviewed by a pharmacist with recommendations documented in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) within the previous 12 months. A report of actionable Veterans meeting inclusion criteria will be generated on September 15, 2016 from the PDSI