Comprehensive Medication Reviews for Adults With Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities

ABSTRACT Introduction People with intellectual or developmental disabilities face an elevated risk of adverse medication and health outcomes due to polypharmacy, medication interactions, and adherence issues. This study's objective was to assess the feasibility of virtual and in‐home comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs) to identify and, when necessary, intervene on medication‐related problems (MRPs) among patients with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) residing in community group homes and to assess the caregivers' satisfaction with the CMRs. Methods Patients with IDD taking 5 or more medications were detected by using the health system's data warehouse. CMR steps included meeting with the patient and caregiver, assessing for MRP using the American Pharmacist Association/National Association of Chain Drug Stores framework, and providing a summary report for the patient/caregiver/prescriber. The report was reviewed with the caregiver 2 weeks after the initial CMR visit and sent to the prescriber. Outcomes measured included changes in the number of medications in patients' regimens, the number of MRPs identified, and a description of the MRPs. Results Twenty‐nine patients with IDD received the CMR intervention. A median and interquartile range (IQR) of 4 (3.0, 4.0) MRPs were identified for each patient. The most common MRPs were inaccurate medication list in the medical record ( n = 21), duplication of therapy ( n = 13), no indication for medication use documented ( n = 8), and a potential problem present but not treated ( n = 7). There was a statistically significant difference in the median number of medications prior to and after CMR ( p = 0.046), which decreased from 16 (12, 19) to 14.5 (10.8, 18.3). Caregivers were highly satisfied with the CMR process. Conclusion These results support the feasibility of conducting CMR both virtually and in‐home. Implementation of a CMR program on a larger scale and conducting outcomes assessment are the next steps, with the goal to ensure safe and effective use of their medications by patients who have IDD.