PCNE Working group on medication review
Medication review is an essential element of pharmaceutical care. PCNE has held several workshops and symposia on the topic. Reports from this work can be found on this site. The aim of the working group is to bring experts together in order to create a set of guidelines for conducting medication review, including an algorithm for patient selection. Most useful information can be found in the reports of the different symposia.
In 2017, experts had extensive discussions during a consensus meeting in Hillerød, Denmark. This resulted in following PCNE definition:
Medication review is a structured evaluation of a patient‘s medicines with the aim of optimising medicines use and improving health outcomes. This entails detecting drug related problems and recommending interventions.
In view of the discussions, a position paper was deemed necessary that would clarify the different elements of the definition and justify the choices. This position paper can be found here. The process was published in 2018, and the paper can be found here.
PCNE also has defined the different types of medication review, and the result can be found in a short statement.
PCNE definition of medication review (2018)
The PCNE definition of medication review reads:
Medication review is a structured evaluation of a patient’s medicines with the aim of optimising medicines use and improving health outcomes. This entails detecting drug-related problems and recommending interventions
A research paper describes the process of reaching an agreement:
Griese-Mammen, N., Hersberger, K.E., Messerli, M.
et al. PCNE definition of medication review: reaching agreement.
Int J Clin Pharm
40, 1199–1208 (2018).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-018-0696-7
Workshop during 2013 Working Conference in Berlin
During the Working Conference 2013 in Berlin, a Workshop was held with the title: ‘Medication review, bringing the strands together‘. Please find here the introduction slides for that workshop. The introduction slides give a good impression of the status of the work of the Medication Review Working group at that point in time.
The results of the working group were essentially twofold, and can be downloaded here:
Overview: what problems can be detected by the different PCNE Types of medication review
Overview: What activities are part of the different PCNE types of Medication Review
Report 3rd Medication Review Symposium, Leuven, May 2012
The Third PCNE Medication Review Working Symposium was held on the 29th May 2012 in Leuven, Belgium. Participants looked at the selection criteria (prioritising), and the information that is necessary to conduct a medication review. A flowchart was also created.
Report 2nd Medication Review Symposium, Dublin 2011
The Second PCNE Medication Review Working Symposium was held on the 18th October 2011 in Dublin, Ireland. The definition was once again revised, and different methods of Medication Review were presented.
March 2011: Medication review Mini-Symposium
On Saturday 26th March 2011, directly after the working conference of PCNE, a mini symposium on medication review was held in Manchester under supervision of the PCNE Medication Review Working Group. The presentations held during this symposium can be found here. During this symposium, the definition of a Medication Review was revised.
August 2010: Medication review workshop
First PCNE Working Symposium on medication review, Geneva 2009
The the definition of medication review, and the different approaches have been extensively discussed during an PCNE Working Symposium on Medication in Geneva, on the Tuesday 3rd November 2009. There were 36 experts present who discussed definitions, the three types of medication review and the information that is necessary for performing medication reviews.
The different abstracts, presentations and reports can now be retrieved on-line, by clicking here. Additional information can also be obtained from the professional secretariat.