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Don’T Leave Without Them: Dispensing Asthma Medications To Pediatric Patients Upon Discharge Is Associated With Decreased Hospital Readmissions, Kelly J. Hiteshew, Thaddeus T. Franz, Kristen Lamberjack, Aleda M.H. Chen

Pharmacy Faculty Publications

Purpose: Asthma exacerbations are a leading cause of hospital and emergency department admissions at pediatric institutions. The objective of this study was to determine if patients who obtain discharge medications from a pediatric institution’s outpatient pharmacy after an admission for asthma have a lower thirty-day readmission rate than those who do not obtain discharge medications from the outpatient pharmacy.

Methods: This multi-phase retrospective study included an initial chart review, an intervention period, and a second chart review of the intervention period. The chart reviews included patients ages two years and older with a discharge diagnosis of asthma or wheezing. During …