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The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of drug profiles could improve drug utilization in an ambulatory care setting. Four clinics were provided drug profiles on each patient for a 6- to 9-month period. Evaluation of drug utilization and physician response to using the profiles was performed. The data indicated that, after the profiles were introduced, there was a reduction in the total number of medications and duplications in a majority of patients studied. In addition, physician time spent in reviewing the drug history was significantly reduced. Overall, the physicians who were surveyed felt that the profile helped them and improved patient care. These data support the conclusions that the integration of drug profiles within an ambulatory care setting can improve patient care and help the hospital with large outpatient workloads to realize significant savings. |
