In 2001, an estimated 1.9 million Canadians had chronic renal disease and the number of patients being treated for end stage renal disease climbed by nearly 20% in 5 years. Many medications commonly used in elderly patients are excreted by the kidney. Failure to adjust doses in those with impaired renal function can result in medication overdose, leading to potentially serious morbidity and mortality. Studies in hospitals and long term care facilities have found a 19-67% rate of non-compliance with guidelines for medication dose adjustment in patients with renal insufficiency and in ambulatory care one study found a 69% rate of non-compliance. Since primary care physicians write 80% of prescriptions for those aged 65 years, there is a need for interventions to improve prescribing to patients with renal impairment in primary care.

This study will develop an audit tool and electronic decision support tool that will be incorporated into the electronic medical record in a large academic family health centre. It is seen as a preliminary step in a project to assess the effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention including chart audit, personalized feedback to prescribers, a pharmacist-facilitated group learning session and the use of an electronic decision support tool incorporated into the electronic medical record.