Exploring Primary Care Providers’ Perspectives on Medication Review and Management Through Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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OBJECTIVE: Efficient execution of medication management strategies, such as medication reviews, is crucial for reducing potential medication-related harms and improving treatment effectiveness. We assessed the perspectives of primary care professionals on how the rapid integration of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic affected medication management in primary care. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 27 family medicine clinicians, support staff, and administrators. Interview questions focused on primary care processes, care delivery, and the use of telehealth technology during the pandemic. Codes were initially developed a priori using the interview guide and iteratively revised based on data and consensus meetings. The final coding structure was then used to analyze all transcripts. RESULTS: Participants were predominantly physicians (65.4%) who practiced family medicine (89.5%). Primary care professionals indicated that the swift integration of telehealth significantly affected the medication review and reconciliation procedures established within their practices, sometimes causing potential risks to medication safety, while others observed no significant changes in this process. Among the notable changes were the increased workload on providers and a reduced role of the collaborative team-based approach. Overall, providers recognized both the benefits and challenges of using telehealth for medication management. CONCLUSIONS: The rapid adoption of telehealth during the pandemic influenced medication management strategies, posing challenges to patient safety through changes in medication reconciliation processes and lack of team-based approaches to medication management. Ensuring patient safety in primary care settings through telehealth services requires the strategic integration of evidence-based medication safety processes in telehealth service delivery designs.

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