Protocol for a pilot and feasibility study of nurse practitioner-pharmacist telehealth collaboration to simplify complex medication regimens.

INTRODUCTION

New and flexible multidisciplinary workforce models are needed to address unnecessary medication regimen complexity in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). This study will investigate the feasibility of a nurse practitioner-pharmacist telehealth-based collaborative care model to simplify complex medication regimens.

METHODS

This is a pragmatic, non-randomized pilot and feasibility study of up to 30 permanent residents from 4 RACFs in Western Australia. Simplification will be conducted in accordance with a validated 5-step implicit process. Nurse practitioners will identify residents potentially interested in and who may benefit from simplification, including any regulatory or safety imperatives that might preclude simplification. Medication regimens will be assessed by an off-site clinical pharmacist to identify opportunities for simplification in terms of drug-drug, drug-food, or drug-time interactions, and the availability of alternative formulations. The pharmacist will communicate simplification opportunities to nurse practitioners via video case conferencing. Nurse practitioners will then discuss simplification opportunities with the resident, caregiver and the health and care team, including any unintended consequences for the resident or RACF. The primary outcome measure will be feasibility (stakeholder acceptability, protocol adherence, recruitment and retention rates). Secondary outcomes include change in the number of medication administration times per day, medication and behavioral incidents, falls and fractures, hospitalization and mortality at 4 months.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval has been obtained from the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee. Research findings will be disseminated through industry report, lay summaries, conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications.