Implementation of a clinical pharmacist-driven comprehensive medication management program in an outpatient wound healing center

Abstract

BackgroundThe role of the pharmacist in wound healing management among patients with diabetic and nondiabetic foot ulcers (DFU) is unclear. We sought to implement and evaluate an integrated pharmacist-driven comprehensive medication management (CMM) program in a multidisciplinary podiatrist-led wound healing center (WHC). ObjectivesThe objectives were to determine the role of the clinical pharmacist in a WHC and evaluate the impact of CMM interventions on prescribing rates and wound healing rates. MethodsA pharmacist-driven CMM program was implemented in a podiatrist-led WHC, and an evaluation spanning 6 years was conducted. ResultsOverall, 1018 patients were treated over 6 years, and 515 received wound treatment after the CMM period, of which, 309 received CMM services. A total of 441 medication related problems (MRPs) were identified; most were related to medication safety (35.1%) and inappropriate or ineffective therapy (31.3%), and problems with adherence accounted for 22.5% of documented MRPs. An average of 3.41 interventions per patient were documented, and most were related to patient education (40.8%). Only metformin (20.3 vs. 34.2%; P < 0.001) and insulin prescription (57.3 vs. 73.8%; P < 0.001) prevalence increased after CMM implementation. Other prescriptions were not significantly different among patients presenting in the pre- and post-CMM periods, respectively. Wound healing rates among patients with DFU were similar before and after implementation (55 vs. 52%; P = 0.49). Likewise, wound healing rates among those with non-DFUs were similar before- and after implementation (56 vs. 53%; P = 0.56). ConclusionThe implementation of a novel pharmacist-driven CMM program embedded within a multidisciplinary podiatrist-managed WHC provided the initial evidence of the potential benefits of providing pharmacist-driven CMM services to patients with lower extremity ulcers. Prospective studies of CMM in this patient population are needed.