Table 1 Study characteristics of the included studies

Bond [38] (2007)

LRB

12

GB, general practices

Nr

2014

R: Pharmacist

D: GP

No

1

Yes

< 65 ^a

No

Specific conditions^a

Briggs [73] (2015)

HRB

4

AU, tertiary referral hospital

82.0

2015

R: Hospital pharmacist

D: GP

Yes

1

Nr

>70^a

>5^a

Living at home^a

Britton [51] (1991)

HRB

3

US, general medicine clinic

Nr

760

R: Clinical pharmacist

D: physician (assistant)

No

1

Yes

No

> 5

No

Burns [32]/Furniss [42] (2000)

HRB

4

GB, nursing homes

83.5

330

R: (study) pharmacist

D: multidisciplinary team

No

2

Nr

No

No

Living in nursing home

Gallagher [49] (2011)

LRB

6

GB, tertiary medical centre

74.5

400

R: (research) physician, medical team

D: physician

No

1

Nr

≥ 65^a

No

Emergency admission^a

Graffen [74] (2004)

HRB

6

AU, general practices

Nr

402

R: Pharmacist

D: GP and patient

Yes

1

Nr

> 65^a

≥ 5^a

Living independently^a; ≥ 1 of following^a: use of predefined risk drugs; > 12 doses per day; > 6 diagnoses; BMI < 22

Heselmans [33] (2015)

HRB

0^b

BE, general and specialized hospitals

66.6

600

R: Pharmacist

D: Ward physician

No

1

Nr

>15^a

No

ICU stay of at least three consecutive day^a

Holland [34] (2005)/Pacini [53] (2007)

LRB

6

GB, emergency wards

85.4

855

R: (study) pharmacist

D: pharmacist or GP

Yes

2

Yes

> 80^a

≥ 2^a

Discharged after emergency admission to own home or warden controlled accommodation^a

Jameson [47] (1995)

HRB

6

US, family health center

Nr

64

R: Clinical pharmacist

D: Physician and pharmacist

Yes

2

Nr

No

≥ 5 (see other)

≥ 2 of following risk factors: ≥ 5 drugs; ≥ 12 daily doses; ≥ 4 medication changes last 12 months.; >3 concurrent diseases; noncompliance; drugs requiring TDM

Jameson [50] (2001)

HRB

6

US, private physicians

51.4

340

R: Clinical pharmacist

D: Physician and pharmacist

Yes

1

Nr

No

≥ 5

No

Krska [75] (2001)

HRB

3

GB, medical practices

74.8

381

R: Clinical pharmacist

D: GP and pharmacist

Yes

1

Nr

≥ 65^a

≥ 4^a

≥ 2 chronic conditions^a

Kwint [76] (2011)

LRB

6

NL, community pharmacies

78.7

118

R: 2 research pharmacists

D: GP and community pharmacist

No

1

Nr

≥ 65^a

≥ 5^a

living at home^a; at least one drug had to be dispensed via an automated system^a

Lenaghan [77] (2007)

HRB

6

GB, general practices

84.5

136

R: study-pharmacist

D: GP and study- pharmacist

Yes

2

Nr

> 80^a

≥ 4^a

living in own homes^a; ≥ 1 of following criteria^a: living alone; confused mental state, vision or hearing impairment; prescribed medicines associated with medication-related morbidity; prescribed >7 regular oral medicines

Lenander [35] (2014)

HRB

12

SE, primary care centre

79.0

209

R: Geriatrics pharmacist

D: GP and patient

Yes

1

No

> 65^a

≥ 5^a

already scheduled for an appointment with a GP^a

Lim [41] (2004)

LRB

2

SG, geriatric outpatient clinic

79.6

126

R: pharmacist (of a pharmacist consult clinic)

D: primary physician

Yes

1

Nr

No

> 3 (see other)

≥ 1 of following criteria: TDM required; polypharmacy (>3 drugs or >9 doses per day); non-compliance; self-administered drugs that require psychomotor skill and co-ordination; nasogastric tube feeding; >1 doctor managing care; hospitalized within the last 6 months.

Lisby [36] (2010)

LRB

3

DK, acute ward

80.2

100

R: Clinical pharmacist and a clinical pharmacologist

D: ward physicians

Yes

2

Nr

≥ 70^a

≥ 1^a

expected to be admitted for more than 24 h^a

Lisby [30] (2015)

LRB

3

DK, regional hospital

80.4

108

R: Clinical pharmacist and a clinical pharmacologist

D: Orthopedic ward physicians

Yes

2

Nr

> 65^a

≥ 4^a

nonelective admission at orthopedic ward^a; expected in-hospital length of stay (LOS) of a minimum of 24 hours^a

Mannheimer [78] (2006)

LRB

6

SE, clinical internal medicine

71.0

305

P: nurse and clinical pharmacologist

D: physician in charge

Yes

1

Nr

No

≥ 2^a

patients who had been in hospital for < 24 h on Tue. to Fri. or for < 60 h on Mon. before a nurse screened the computerized medical record^a

Meredith [45] (2002)

LRB

1.5

US, home care

80.3

317

P: nurse and clinical pharmacist

D: Physician

Yes

1

Yes

≥ 65^a

No

had ≥ 1 of the four possible study medication problems^a; projected duration of home health care of ≥4 wks^a

Meyer [79] (1991)

HRB

12

US, VAMC

Nr

312

R: study-physician (Group III, intensive intervention)

D: Physicians and nurse practitioners

No

1

Nr

No

≥ 10

being followed by providers at the medical center

Michalek [39] (2014)

LRB

0^b

DE, tertiary medical center

84^c

114

R: Physicians

D: Physicians

No

1

Nr

> 70^a

≥ 3^a

admitted to the acute geriatric unit^a, stable health condition defined as no need for intermediate or intensive care unit treatment^a, had at least three diseases in need for drug treatment^a.

Milos [80] (2013)

LRB

2

SE, primary health care centres

87.0

374

R: Clinical pharmacist

D: Physician

No

1

Yes

≥ 75^a

No

users of the multi-dose drug dispensing system; living in nursing homes or their own homes with municipally provided home care

Olsson [46] (2012)

HRB

12

SE, primary care

83.4

150

R: study-physician

D: Family physician

Yes

1

Nr

≥ 75^a

≥ 5^a

living in ordinary homes^a

Pit [44] (2007)

HRB

12

AU, general practice

Nr

849

R: Doctors

D: Doctors

Yes

1

Yes

≥ 65^a

No

living in the community^a

Pope [43] (2011)

LRB

6

GB, community hospitals

83.3

225

R: multidisciplinary panel

D: General practitioner

No

1

Nr

No

No

permanent patients on the continuing-care wards

Sellors [52] (2001)

LRB

6

CA, family physician practice

76.4

132

R: study-pharmacist

D: family physician

Yes

1

Yes

≥ 65^a

≥ 4^a

No

Sellors [37] (2003)

LRB

5

CAN, family physician practices

74.0

889

R: Pharmacist

D: Physician

Yes

1

Nr

≥ 65^a

≥ 5^a

had been seen by their physician within; the past 12 months^a; no evidence of cognitive impairment; could understand English.

Williams [40] (2004)

HRB

1.5

US, general medicine clinic

73.5

140

R: Interdisciplinary team (consultant pharmacist, physician and nurse)

D: Primary physician

Yes

1

Nr

≥ 65^a

≥ 5^a

≥ 2 of the medications were potentially problematic drugs for common geriatric problems^a; cognitively intact ^a

Zermansky [48] (2001/2002)

LRB

12

GB, general practices

74.0

1188

R: Study-clinical pharmacist

D: Pharmacist or GP

Yes

1

Nr

≥ 65^a

≥ 1^a

No

Zermansky [81] (2006)

LRB

6

GB, care homes

85.3

661

R: Study-clinical pharmacist

D: GP

Yes

1

Nr

≥ 65^a

≥ 1^a

No

Zillich [31] (2014)

LRB

2

US, home health care centers

73.0

895

R: Pharmacist

D: Patient, pharmacist, physician

Yes

3–4

Nr

No

No

All new patients admitted into Medicare’s defined 60-day home health care episode were eligible. Medicare eligibility for home health benefits requires ordering services by a physician who reviews the need for a patient’s care and certifies that the patient is homebound