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Introduction Due to an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases, medication use and their cost is rising rapidly. This scenario renders chronic patients at an increased risk of experiencing drug therapy problems, subsequently leading to unfavourable clinical and economic outcomes. Thus, to ensure patients’ optimal medication use and improve their clinical outcomes, a comprehensive and systematic management of medications is deemed crucial and was tested at the Croatian primary care ambulatory clinic, Health Care Centre Zagreb – Centre. Materials and methods Collaborative practice between pharmacists and general practitioners, together with patients’ active participation in the definition of treatment regimens, plays an important role in the effectiveness of CMM services. It includes an individualized care plan that achieves the intended goals of therapy with appropriate follow- up to determine actual patient outcomes. Results The CMM intervention significantly improved clinical outcomes and reduced the number of hospital admissions and unplanned GPs visits. Furthermore, the budget impact analysis performed on our patient sample showed that CMM services are an affordable intervention. Conclusion Hence, as CMM services can significantly contribute to better clinical outcomes and lower healthcare utilisation, it appears to be an affordable intervention for addressing medication mismanagement and irrational drug use. For CMM services to become a reality in Europe and elsewhere, numerous prerequisites need to be accomplished, including policies and legal regulations supporting the provision of CMM services, clearly defined and standardized professional practice and common language shared among the pharmacists, and well trained and experienced practitioners providing full-time, direct patient care. |
