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Medication reviews can significantly reduce drug underuse by older people, according to a meta-analysis of nine controlled studies involving 2,542 patients.

On average, pharmaceutical care interventions, including medication reviews, significantly reduced the number of omitted drugs by 0.44 medicines per patient. The proportion of patients who omitted at least one drug declined by 71 per cent.

Using a screening instrument (such as the START criteria) emerged as the only factor that was significantly associated with the success of a medication review. (Br J Clin Pharmacol doi: 10.1111/bcp.12657).