Background The population of developed countries is aging, leading to an increase in the use of medication in daily practice, which can lead to serious treatment costs and irrational polypharmacy. A collaborative care approach, such as providing medication review service provided by a clinical pharmacist (CP), is a possible way to reduce drug-related problems and irrational polypharmacy. The aim of this study was to determinate whether a CP’s medication review service can improve the quality of drug prescribing in elderly patients treated with polypharmacy in primary care. Methods In a retrospective observational medical chart review study, patients aged 65 years or more in the period 2012–2014 who received 10 or more medications concomitantly and who were screened by a CP were included. Data on pharmacotherapy and CPs’ interventions were obtained from the patients’ medical records (non-electronic chart review). Potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) were determined with Lexicomp Online™ 3.0.2. Only potential X-type DDIs (pXDDIs) were included. Potentially inappropriate medications in the elderly (PIMs) were identified using the PRICUS list. Results Ninety-one patients were included. The CPs suggested 625 interventions, of which 304 (48.6%) were accepted by the general practitioners (GPs). After adopting the CPs’ interventions, the number of total medications decreased by 11.2% ( p <  0.05) and the number of pXDDIs decreased by 42% ( p <  0.05). The number of clinically important pXDDIs decreased by 50% (3 cases). The number of prescribed PIMs decreased by 20% ( p = 0.069). The acceptance of CP’s recommendations reduced the number of pXDDIs ( p < 0.05) and improved the adherence to heart failure treatment guidelines. Conclusions A collaborative care approach offering a CP medication review service significantly improved the quality of pharmacotherapy by reducing the total number of medications and pXDDIs. The results support the implementation of this service in the Slovenian healthcare system.

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Mental health problems (MHPs) are very common in the elderly and can have an important influence on their quality of life (QoL). There is almost no data on the impact of clinical pharmacists’ (CPs) interventions on the QoL including elderly patients and MHPs. The main aim of this study was to determinate the impact of (CP’s) interventions on the QoL and quality of pharmacotherapy. A prospective non-randomized pre-post study was designed which included residents of a nursing home aged 65 age or more with at least one MHP. Each patient also filled out the EQ-5D questionnaire. The medical review MR included drug-related problems (DRPs) and potentially drug-drug interactions (pDDIs), as well as potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs). After 2 months, the participants were interviewed again. The mean number of medications before the intervention was 12,2 ± 3,1 per patient and decreased to 10,3 ± 3,0 medications per patient (p < 0,05) (n = 24). The total number of PIMs and pDDIs was also reduced and QoL was also significantly higher (p < 0,05). A collaborative care approach with a CP led to a decrease of DRPs, pDDIs, PIMs, the total number of medications and to an improvement in the patients’ QoL.

Objectives: Although antipsychotic prescribing in elderly patients using polypharmacy has not been studied in well-designed clinical trials and meta-analyses, there is an urgent need to monitor prescribing practice in this population. One of the possible approaches to optimize pharmacotherapy may be the involvement of clinical pharmacists (CPs). The aim of this research was to examine whether the involvement of a CP can improve treatment guidelines adherence and change the total number of medications per patient in older patients who are treated with excessive polypharmacy that includes antipsychotics. Methods: This cohort retrospective study included older patients (65 years or older) treated with at least one antipsychotic and excessive polypharmacy (10 or more medications concurrently) between 2012 and 2014 in primary care. The main outcome measures were antipsychotic treatment guidelines' adherence and the total number of medications per patient after the CP's interventions. Only interventions including antipsychotics were studied in detail (i.e., discontinuation, switching, initiation, dose adjustment, change of another medication because of a drug-related problem). Data on diagnoses, patient pharmacotherapy and the CP's interventions were obtained from clinical records and medical reviews. Age and acceptance of the CP's interventions were used as predictive factors for antipsychotic treatment guidelines' adherence. Results: Forty-nine patients were included. The CP suggested 21 different interventions of which nine (42.8%) were accepted by the general practitioners. The number of medications that patients received decreased after the CP's interventions (N of medications before: 15.4; N of medications after: 12.0, p < 0.05). The acceptance of the CP's recommendations, but not age, improved antipsychotic treatment guidelines' adherence (p = 0.041). Conclusions: These results show that a collaborative care approach including a CP in primary care significantly improved the adherence to treatment guidelines. The results also support the implementation of this service in the Slovenian healthcare system, although more studies are needed.

When new drugs are licensed in a jurisdiction, their prescription rates increase rapidly. The changes in the pattern of prescribing medicines are evident in Slovenia, primarily in the increase of OROS-MPH and ATX prescriptions and in the rapid decrease of IR-MPH prescriptions. Results indicate a need for appropriate interventions in Slovenia.

This review suggests that ARBs can improve cognitive functions in the elderly, especially episodic memory. ACE-Is, diuretics, BBs and CCBs did not seem to improve cognitive function in the elderly but were similarly effective in blood pressure lowering as ARBs.

The results suggest that LDX has the largest effect size and has a promising potential for treating adults with ADHD.

AimTo estimate prevalence and incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents in Slovenia using different epidemiological models.MethodsData from the National Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia for the period 1997-2012 were analyzed. The database includes the annual number of newly diagnosed outpatients with ADHD in Slovenia. The evaluation for ADHD diagnoses was done in accordance with the Tenth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) outpatient data codes. In model 1, a linear increase was proposed to fit the data in the period from 1997 to 2003 in order to extrapolate the data before 1997. In model 2 and 3, an exponential increase in the annual incidence rate was proposed.ResultsThe incidence rate of ADHD diagnosis in 1997 was 0.032% and in 2012 it increased to 0.082%. Mean prevalence rate was 750 (95% confidence interval: 660-840) per 100 000 children and adolescents. It was estimated that the prevalence rate in 2020 would be 1% (95% confidence interval: 0.875-1.125), which is 6.3-fold higher than in 1997.ConclusionsADHD is a common mental health disorder among Slovenian children and adolescents, but it remained underdiagnosed compared with Western countries. Our results indicated a need for improved timely interventions in Slovenia, not only in child and adolescent psychiatry but also in primary settings and adult psychiatry, where ADHD should be more efficiently recognized.