Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of a plan for improving pharmacy indicators in a Primary Care (PC) Health Area. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental study with a control group. The differences between the pre-intervention (Jan-Dec 2007) and post-intervention (Jan-Dec 2008) periods were evaluated. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Intervention group: Primary Care doctors from PC Area 7 of the Community of Madrid (n=397). CONTROL GROUP: the rest of PC doctors of the Community of Madrid (n=4428). METHOD: A multi-focus plan in which the main activities were: sessions in the health centres with the worst results, involvement of those responsible for the Rational Use of Drugs, interviews with the doctors with the most improvable indicators, recognition of those with good indicators, and preparing short notes on drugs. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Prescription and notification indicators associated with the safety of drugs. RESULTS: In relation to Madrid, the absolute improvements of Area 7 in the accumulated indicators, %Generic drugs, %Statins, %ARAII y %Omeprazole were 0.29; 1.17; 0.61 and 0.37 percentage points, respectively. DHD Osteoporosis equalled the improvement of Madrid. In Area 7, the increase in notifications of suspected serious ADRs was 180% and number of ADR notifications of ADRs was 233%, better than the Madrid data (48% and 21%). The notification of medication errors showed similar increases in both groups (PC Area 7 1567% vs. Madrid PC 1633%). CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a multi-focus improvement plan with feasible and specific actions can be a useful tool for improving pharmacy indicators.