Senior PharmAssist: Less Hospital Use with Enrollment in an Innovative Community-Based Program.

Abstract

To evaluate changes in acute health services use of Senior PharmAssist participants. Retrospective analysis. Community-based, nonprofit program in Durham County, North Carolina. Adults aged 60 and older with income of 200% of the federal poverty level or less who enrolled in the Senior PharmAssist program (N = 191) between August 1, 2011, and March 15, 2017. Medication therapy management (MTM), customized community referrals, Medicare insurance counseling, and medication copayment assistance provided by Senior PharmAssist. Primary outcomes were self-reported emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions in the previous year, assessed at baseline and every 6 months for up to 2 years. Mean number of ED visits declined over time (0.83 visits per year at baseline to 0.53 visits per year at 24 months, P = .002), as did the percentage of participants reporting an ED visit in the past year (49% at baseline to 31% at 24 months, P = .003). Mean hospital admissions also decreased (0.56 admissions per year at baseline to 0.4 admissions per year at 24 months, P = .02). There was no significant change in percentage of participants reporting a hospital admission in the past year (33% at baseline to 25% at 24 months, P = .23). Older adults who enrolled in a community-based program that helps them manage medications, connect with community resources, and overcome barriers to medication access experienced reductions in acute health services use. J Am Geriatr Soc 66:2394-2400, 2018.