Effects of telephone counselling on mortality and adherence

A randomised controlled trial published in a peer-reviewed journal is considered to be the ‘gold standard’ of information about the effectiveness of a treatment; however, critical appraisal of trials is required in order to judge the value and implications of the results. Here, the authors present their appraisal of a study that investigated the effects of telephone calls from a pharmacist on mortality in patients taking five or more drugs.