The impact of a comprehensive pharmaceutical care intervention in addition to cardiac rehabilitation program on outcomes of post-acute coronary syndrome patients: A pilot study

Abstract

ObjectiveTo test the efficacy of Comprehensive pharmaceutical care intervention added to cardiac rehabilitation program(CR programs) in improving echocardiographic parameters, nutritional status and High sensitivity C-Reactive Protein(hs-CRP), in post-acute coronary syndrome patients. MethodsA prospective; randomized, controlled study. 40 post-acute coronary syndrome patients, participating in CR program, were randomly allocated to either the control group(n = 20) or the intervention group(n = 20). Pharmaceutical care intervention included face-to-face education about the disease, healthy lifestyle, medication adherence, drug related problems management and goal setting. hs-CRP and cardiac parameters were measured at baseline and after 3 months. ResultsAfter three months,the intervention group showed a significant decrease in left ventricular end systolic volume (p = 0.0026) and left ventricular end diastolic volume (p = 0.0009) compared to the control group. Also, intervention group showed a significant increase in nutritional status (p = 0.037) and the patients' knowledge about the disease and drugs (p = 0.0001). However, there was no significant change in hscrp level between groups. ConclusionOur findings indicate that Comprehensive pharmaceutical care intervention added to CR programs significantly improved cardiac parameters and nutritional status. This is best explained by increasing adherence to cardiovascular medications and to healthier lifestyle and optimizing medication knowledge and doses. Practice implicationsImplementing Comprehensive pharmaceutical care intervention added to CR programs could improve the cardiac function and nutritional status of post-acute coronary syndrome patients.