Pharmacist-led Educational Intervention Research Articles

Effect of Pharmacist-Led Interventions on Diabetes Distress Among People With Type 2 Diabetes.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of pharmacist-led interventions on diabetes distress and glucose management among people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in a community care clinic. Adults with T2DM were recruited during routine visits at the pharmacist-run clinic. Participants completed a baseline A1C, demographic survey, Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS), and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2). Depending on DDS subscale-specific responses, participants qualified for pharmacist-led educational interventions based on the ADCES7 Self-Care Behaviors™. After 6 months, participants completed another A1C, satisfaction survey, DDS, and PHQ-2. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and paired t tests. Among 53 participants at baseline, diabetes distress was present in 77.4%; emotional burden was most common in 64.2%, followed by regimen distress in 45.3%, interpersonal distress in 34.0%, and physician distress in 20.8%. After the intervention, significant reductions occurred in mean overall DDS score (2.0 to 1.7), emotional burden (2.4 to 1.8), regimen distress (2.3 to 1.7), A1C (7.0% to 6.5%; 53.0 to 47.5 mmol/mol), and PHQ-2 score (1.6 to 1.0). Participants were highly satisfied with the service, their knowledge, and self-management skills following completion of the study. Diabetes distress was present in most participants despite glucose management that was largely achieving treatment goals. Pharmacist-led educational interventions significantly reduced overall DDS score, emotional burden, regimen distress, A1C, and PHQ-2 score. The results of this study suggest that people with T2DM should receive routine screening for diabetes distress and that pharmacists can positively affect diabetes management and emotional well-being through tailored education.

Enhancing knowledge, attitude, and perceptions towards fall prevention among older adults: a pharmacist-led intervention in a primary healthcare clinic, Gemas, Malaysia

BackgroundFalls and fall-related injuries are very common among older adults, and the risk of falls increases with the aging process. The lack of awareness of falls and fall-related injuries among older adults can contribute to an increasing risk of falls. Hence, a study was carried out to improve the knowledge, attitude, and perception of falls and fractures among older adults in a primary care setting in Gemas, a rural area of the Selangor state of Malaysia.MethodA structured educational intervention was provided to older adults who visited the primary care setting in Gemas and provided written informed consent to participate in the study. A total of 310 older adult patients was included in the study using a convenience sampling technique.ResultsBefore the intervention, 74.84% of the respondents (n = 232) agreed that falls and related fractures are the leading causes of hospital admission among older adults. In post-intervention, the number of respondents who agreed with this statement increased to 257 (82.91%). At baseline, 28 respondents (9.03%) had poor knowledge, 160 respondents (51.61%) had average knowledge levels, and 122 respondents (39.35%) had good knowledge. In post-intervention, respondents with poor and average knowledge reduced to 1.93% (n = 6) and 29.35% (n = 91) respectively. A majority of respondents’ knowledge levels improved significantly after the intervention (n = 213; 68.71%). About eight respondents (2.58%) had a negative perception of falls. In post-intervention, the percentage reduced to 0.65% as only two respondents had a negative perception. A total of 32 types of fall-risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs) have been prescribed to the respondents. A strong correlation (r = 0.89) between pre- and post-intervention knowledge was shown among the respondents. Paired t-test analysis showed a statistically significant difference.ConclusionThe pharmacist-led educational intervention significantly improved the knowledge, attitude, and perception of falls among older adults. More structured and periodical intervention programmes are warranted to reduce the risk of falls and fractures among older adults.

Impact of a pharmacist-led educational intervention on knowledge, attitude, and practice toward the rational use of antibiotics among healthcare workers in a secondary care hospital in Punjab, Pakistan.

Introduction: Growing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and decreasing efficacy of the available antimicrobials have become a significant public health concern. The antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) ensures the appropriate use of antimicrobials and mitigates resistance prevalence through various interventions. One of the core components of the ASP is to educate healthcare workers (HWs). Therefore, this study aims to identify the impact of a pharmacist-led educational intervention targeting knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding rational antibiotic use among healthcare professionals in a secondary care hospital in Punjab. Methods: This is a single-center, questionnaire-based, pre-post interventional study conducted over a six-month time period. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26. Results: Regarding the pre-interventional knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) score of the respondents, 90.3% had a good knowledge score, 81.5% had a positive attitude, and 72.3% of HWs (excluding doctors) had a good practice score. Additionally, 74.6% of the doctors had a good practice score. After educational intervention, there was a significant improvement in the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the respondent HWs (p-value <0.001). Furthermore, males have higher knowledge scores compared to females in the pre- and post-intervention stages (p-value <0.05), and doctors differ from nurses regarding knowledge scores in both pre- and post-intervention stages. Conclusion: Considering educational programs as the backbone of the ASP, it is imperative to sustain efforts in the ongoing educational programs of HWs to foster high awareness and adherence to the ASP among HWs.

Effectiveness of community pharmacist-led interventions in osteoarthritis pain management: A cluster-randomized trial

BackgroundCommunity pharmacists contribute in osteoarthritis management via evidence-based pain management services. However, their roles and impacts on osteoarthritis management in low- and middle-income countries have yet to be explored. ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of community pharmacist-led educational intervention and medication review among osteoarthritis patients. MethodsA 6-month cluster-randomized controlled study was conducted in 22 community pharmacies of Nepal. Patients clinically diagnosed with osteoarthritis, aged 18 years and above, with a poor knowledge level of osteoarthritis and pain management were enrolled in the study. The intervention groups were educated on osteoarthritis and pain management, and had their medications reviewed while control group received usual care. Primary outcomes evaluated for the study were the change in pain levels, knowledge, and physical functional scores at 3 and 6 months. Repeated analyses of covariance were performed to examine the outcomes. ResultsA total of 158 participants were recruited for the study. The intervention group reported improvements in pain score (mean difference 0.473, 95 % CI 0.047 to 0.900) at 3 months and the end of the study (mean difference 0.469, 95 % CI 0.047 to 0.891) as compared to control. Similarly, improvement in knowledge scores were observed in the intervention group at 3 months (mean difference 5.320, 95 % CI 4.982 to 5.658) and 6 months (mean difference 5.411, 95 % CI 5.086 to 5.735). No differences were observed in other outcomes, including physical functional score, depression, and quality of life. ConclusionCommunity pharmacist-led intervention improved patients’ knowledge of osteoarthritis and pain management. While pain scores improved, physical functional score, depression, and quality of life score remained unchanged. Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05337709.

Effectiveness of clinical pharmacist intervention on medication adherence in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - A randomized controlled study

ObjectivesIn patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), non-adherence remains challenging to achieve optimal disease control. Our study aimed to determine the impact of pharmacist-led educational interventions on COPD management, focusing mainly on medication adherence. MethodsWe conducted a 1-month open-labeled, randomized, controlled study at Ba Ria Hospital, Vietnam. COPD outpatients were randomly assigned to the intervention group or control group. Pharmacist-delivered education emphasized medication adherence, disease, and medication knowledge. The primary outcome was the between-group difference in medication adherence after the intervention, as assessed by the general medication adherence scale (GMAS). ResultsOf 181 recruited patients, 180 completed the follow-up. After the intervention, the results indicated a significant improvement in medication adherence rate between the two groups (90.1% vs. 66.3%, p < 0.001). Patient behavior was the most common barrier to non-adherence but was effectively reduced at the endpoint. The Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale of dyspnea and inhalation technique also improved significantly in intervention patients. ConclusionsPharmacist intervention can considerably improve medication adherence and knowledge of COPD patients. Practice implicationsThis study promotes the value of clinical pharmacists in patient education to achieve better adherence and enhance population health, especially in resource-limited nations like Vietnam.

Impact of a Pharmacist-led Educational Intervention on Inhalation Technique among Sudanese Patients with Asthma

The proper use of inhaler devices can improve medication efficacy while decreasing dose and adverse effects. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pharmacist-led asthma education interventions on inhaler techniques. This study was a controlled, randomized, prospective intervention, in Wad Medani Teaching Hospital outpatient clinic, between March and June 2021.Structured questionnaire with validated checklists of inhaler techniques were used to collect data, from patients at baseline and at three months of follow-up, for both intervention and control groups. Paired and independent t-tests were used to monitor the effectiveness of the interventions. A total of 130 asthmatic patients were enrolled in this study. The intervention group contains 70 patients (53.8%), while the control group contains 60 patients (46.2%). The mean score for the inhaler techniques of Pressurized metered-dose inhalers(PMDIs) was (3.50±1.43) for the intervention group at baseline and increased after the intervention to (6.78±0.515), this result was significant at the (P = 0.05) level, and the mean score of the dry powder inhaler technique at the initial of this study in the intervention group was (4.72 ±1.50) this means were improved after the intervention to (6.83± 0.44) this result was statistically significant. There was no significant difference between the control group before and after intervention (P=0.321).This study has shown that the pharmacist-led educational intervention improved the inhalation technique of asthmatic patients. It is important to consider these programs as routine health care to enhance inhaler techniques.

Impact of pharmacist-led educational intervention on knowledge of self-management among asthmatic patients: a prospective cohort study

ObjectivesPoor control of asthma in the majority of patients could be partly due to their lack of knowledge concerning disease management, its triggering agents and when to seek advice from...

A pharmacist-led educational intervention to improve nebulization-related knowledge and practices of nursing staff: a pre–post interventional study from Pakistan

A pharmacist-led educational intervention to improve nebulization-related knowledge and practices of nursing staff: a pre–post interventional study from Pakistan

Impact of a Pharmacist-led Educational Intervention on knowledge of antibiotics among mothers of under-five children attending vaccination clinics in Delta State, Nigeria

Background. The extent of mothers’ knowledge about antibiotics largely determines their use in children. Objectives. This study assessed knowledge of antibiotics among mothers’ of under-fives and the immediate impact of a pharmacist-led educational intervention on knowledge scores Methods. A prospective interventional study was conducted among mothers of under-five children. The pre-intervention knowledge scores were determined with the aid of an antibiotic knowledge questionnaire which was interviewer-administered. An educational intervention which focused on all aspects of knowledge of antibiotic use covered by the questionnaire was administered by a pharmacist; thereafter the post intervention knowledge scores were determined using the same knowledge questionnaire. Overall knowledge scores were categorized into poor, moderate and good. The percentage change in the proportions of mothers who had good scores was determined, Chi square test were performed to determine the relationship between knowledge scores and having a family member as a healthcare professional and paired t-test was done to determine impact of the intervention on the mean scores on each knowledge question. P values ≤ 0.05 were statistically significant.Results. A total of 253 mothers participated in the study from two centres. Twenty-one mothers (7.7%) had good knowledge on antibiotics at baseline which increased to 138 (50.6%) after an educational intervention. Knowledge scores for each item also improved post-intervention with least pre-intervention mean scores increasing from 0.25(SD=0.44) to 0.67(SD=0.47), p&lt;0.0001 and 0.18(SD=0.39) to 0.73 (SD=0.44),p&lt;0.0001 at the Warri and Ughelli centres respectively post-intervention. The knowledge questions with the highest scores also increased from mean score of 0.79 (SD= 0.41) to 0.90 (SD= 0.30) at p=0.0041 in the Warri centre and 0.83 (SD= 0.26) to 0.93 (SD=0.26) at p=0.0448 in the Ughelli centre post- intervention. Other items such as knowledge of diarrhoea being a side effect of some antibiotics, completing full course of antibiotics for a child if symptoms improved also improved significantly. Conclusion. This study found out that a pharmacist-led educational intervention had a measurable impact on mothers’ knowledge of antibiotics use in children.

Impact of Pharmacist-Led Diabetes Self-Care Education on Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in Pakistan: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: There is a little evidence on efficacy of pharmacy-based interventions on clinical outcomes of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Pakistan. Objective: To appraise the impact of pharmacist-led self-care education on glycemic control, self-care practices and disease knowledge of T2DM patients with poor glycemic control (HbA1c ≥ 7%). Methods: In this 6-months, randomized controlled trial (RCT), n = 75, T2DM patients seeking care at a diabetes clinic were randomized in to two groups. Intervention group (n = 38) received two face-to-face educational sessions (at enrollment and on week 12), whereas control group (n = 37) received usual care. Outcome measures such as glycemic control, self-care practices and disease knowledge were assessed at the time of enrollment and after 6-months in both groups. Results: Thirty-three intervention and thirty-three participants from the control group completed the study. Mean glycated hemoglobin (% HbA1c) significantly reduced in the intervention group from 9.00 ± 1.43 to 8.09 ± 1.16 (p < .01). However, no significant change was observed in the control group (9.20 ± 1.24 to 8.93 ± .97; p = .06). Cohen’s d effect size of the intervention on HbA1c was .78. Percentage of participants achieving glycemic control (HbA1c < 7%) were significantly higher (p < .05) in the intervention group as compared to the control group (twenty-four vs. six), after 6 months of the trial. A significant (p < .01) improvement in mean scores for disease knowledge and self-care activities was also observed in the intervention group participants, whereas no significant improvements (p > .05) were observed in the control group. Conclusion: The study demonstrated an improvement in glycemic control, disease knowledge and self-care activities of T2DM patients who received pharmacist-led educational intervention. The study findings support clinical significance of integrating pharmacy-based interventions in diabetes management.

Effectiveness of Pharmacist-Led Brief Educational Intervention for Adherence to the Antibiotics for Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (EATSA) in Post-Conflict Rural Areas of Pakistan: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Globally, lower respiratory infections (LRTIs) are one of the most common infectious diseases whichaffect majority of the population and as a result of inappropriate antibiotics practices lead to antibiotic resistance (AR). An individual randomized control trial will be conducted in the post-conflict areas of Swat, Pakistan, through a random sampling method. Patients aged > 18 years will be recruited from five community pharmacies and assigned to equally sized groups to receive either pharmacist-led education interventions or usual care with no intervention. A total of 400 (control = 200, study = 200) patients will be included, with prescriptions comprised of antibiotics for LRTIs. The outcomes measured in both groups will be a combination of treatment cure rate and adherence, which will be assessed using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and pill count. The trial comprises pharmacist-led educational interventions to improve treatment outcomes for patients with LRTIs. This study might establish the groundwork for pharmaceutical care of LRTIs patients with antibacterial therapy and the future delivery of a care strategy for the improvement of LRTIs treatment outcomes in post-conflict, remote areas of the third world and LMICs.

Effect of a pharmacist-led educational intervention on clinical outcomes: a randomised controlled study in patients with hypertension, type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia

ObjectivesIn recent years, hospital pharmacists have gained more importance in the clinical support of patients. However, most of the studies evaluating the impact of clinical pharmacy have only studied patients’...

Pharmacist-led educational interventions provided to healthcare providers to reduce medication errors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Medication errors are avoidable events that can occur at any stage of the medication use process. They are widespread in healthcare systems and are linked to an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Several strategies have been studied to reduce their occurrence including different types of pharmacy-based interventions. One of the main pharmacist-led interventions is educational programs, which seem to have promising benefits. To describe and compare various pharmacist-led educational interventions delivered to healthcare providers and to evaluate their impact qualitatively and quantitatively on medication error rates. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted through searching Cochrane Library, EBSCO, EMBASE, Medline and Google Scholar from inception to June 2020. Only interventional studies that reported medication error rate change after the intervention were included. Two independent authors worked through the data extraction and quality assessment using Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool (CCAT). Summary odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model for rates of medication errors. Research protocol is available in The International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under the registration number CRD42019116465. Twelve studies involving 115058 participants were included. The two main recipients of the educational interventions were nurses and resident physicians. Educational programs involved lectures, posters, practical teaching sessions, audit and feedback method and flash cards of high-risk abbreviations. All studies included educational sessions as part of their program, either alone or in combination with other approaches, and most studies used errors encountered before implementing the intervention to inform the content of these sessions. Educational programs led by a pharmacist were associated with significant reductions in the overall rate of medication errors occurrence (OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.65). Pharmacist-led educational interventions directed to healthcare providers are effective at reducing medication error rates. This review supports the implementation of pharmacist-led educational intervention aimed at reducing medication errors.

Effectiveness of a pharmacist-led intervention on inhalation technique for asthma and COPD patients: The INSPIRA pilot cluster-randomized controlled trial

IntroductionAsthma and COPD are leading causes of disability-adjusted life-years worldwide representing a huge burden on the health system and among patients. One of the reasons for the lack of disease control is poor inhalation technique, with impact on quality of life and symptom control. ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness of a community pharmacist-led educational intervention on asthma and COPD patients’ inhalation technique. MethodsThe INspira study is a 6-month pilot cluster randomized controlled trial, conducted in community pharmacies of Portugal, enrolling adults aged 18 years or older, with a self-reported diagnosis of asthma or COPD and on inhaled therapy. Pharmacies were randomly allocated to Intervention or Control group. Intervention focused mainly on inhalation technique education via demonstration and repetition. Primary outcome was the proportion of patients scoring 100% in at least one inhaler. ResultsFrom January to November 2019, 48 pharmacies recruited 201 asthma and COPD patients, of which 132 completed the 6-month follow-up. At the end of follow-up, the odds of intervention group patients score 100% compared to the control group were 5.63 (95% CI, [2.21; 14.35]) in all inhalers in use and 6.77 (95% CI, [2.52; 18.20]) considering at least one inhaler. Intervention group patients reported having a significantly lower number of scheduled appointments compared with the control group (OR = 0.17; 95% CI, [0.037; 0.79]; p = 0.0135). No other significant differences were found between groups. ConclusionThis pilot study suggested that pharmacist interventions can improve patients’ inhalation technique, with possible positive impact in healthcare resource use.

EFFECT OF A PHARMACIST INTERVENTION ON SELF MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AMONG HYPERTENSIVE-DIABETIC PATIENTS RECEIVING CARE IN A NIGERIAN TERTIARY HOSPITAL

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a pharmacist-led intervention on self-management practices among hypertensive-diabetic patients receiving care in a Nigeria tertiary hospital.&#x0D; Methods: The study adopted a prospective, longitudinal; single-blind, two-arm randomised controlled trial to implement a pharmacist-led educational intervention on hypertension management among patients in Federal Medical Centre Lokoja, Kogi State. All the patients who met the eligibility criteria and gave their written consent to participate in the study were recruited into the study randomized in the intervention group (IG) and Control (CG). Data was collected using Hypertension Self Care Activity Level Effects (H-SCALE) questionnaire. The retrieved questionnaires were first coded into Microsoft Excel (2014) for cleaning of errors, after which the data was exported into the Statistical Product and Services Solutions (SPSS for windows, Version 16.0. SPSS Inc. 2007, Chicago, USA) software. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages and mean scores were used to summarise the data. All responses were first presented as frequencies and percentages. Chi-square was used to determine the correlation between socio-demographic and patients’ clinical characteristics. Independent sample t-test and paired sample t-test were used to compare differences between and within groups.&#x0D; Results: At baseline, more patients in the control group were adherent to their medications 16 (11.5) and had low salt diets 47 (33.8) than patients in the intervention group. However, more patients in the intervention group were non-smokers 127 (88.8) and engaged more in physical activity 38 (26.6) than patients in the control group. However, more of the patients in the control group were adherent to weight management practices 38 (27.3) than patients in the intervention group 36 (25.2), at baseline. All the patients in both study groups reported to have taken alcohol in the past seven days. It can be seen that, patients in the intervention group at endpoint, differed positively from the control group at baseline in adherence to medication, physical activity, reducing alcohol consumption and smoking cessation. It can also be observed that the baseline intervention group differed positively from the endpoint in medication adherence (t=-26.045, p&lt;0.001); physical activity (t=-15.081, p&lt;0.001); weight management practices (t=-5.479, p&lt;0.0010, and alcohol consumption 9t=-11.550, p&lt;0.001).&#x0D; Conclusion: A pharmacist led educational intervention had a positive impact on the self-management practices of hypertensive-diabetes patients.

Evaluation of an Educational Outreach Campaign (IMPACT) on Pain Management Delivered to General Practices in Walsall

Abstract Introduction Opioid class drugs are a commonly prescribed form of analgesic widely used in the treatment of acute, cancer and chronic non-cancer pain. Up to 90% of individuals presenting to pain centres receive opioids, with doctors in the UK prescribing more and stronger opioids (1). Concern is increasing that patients with chronic pain are inappropriately being moved up the WHO ‘analgesic ladder’, originally developed for cancer pain, without considering alternatives to medications, (2). UK guidelines on chronic non-cancer pain management recommend weak opioids as a second-line treatment, when the first-line non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs / paracetamol) ineffective, and for short-term use only. A UK educational outreach programme by the name IMPACT (Improving Medicines and Polypharmacy Appropriateness Clinical Tool) was conducted on pain management. This research evaluated the IMPACT campaign, analysing the educational impact on the prescribing of morphine, tramadol and other high-cost opioids, in the Walsall CCG. Methods Standardised training material was delivered to 50 practices between December 2018 and June 2019 by IMPACT pharmacists. The training included a presentation on pain control, including dissemination of local and national guidelines, management of neuropathic, low back pain and sciatica as well as advice for prescribers on prescribing opioids in long-term pain, with the evidence-base. Prescribing trends in primary care were also covered in the training, and clinicians were provided with resources to use in their practice. Data analysis included reviewing prescribing data and evaluating the educational intervention using feedback from participants gathered via anonymous questionnaires administered at the end of the training. Prescribing data analysis was conducted by Keele University’s Medicines Management team via the ePACT 2 system covering October 2018 to September 2019 (two months before and three months after the intervention) were presented onto graphs to form comparisons in prescribing trends of the Midland CCG compared to England. Results Questionnaires completed at the end of sessions showed high levels of satisfaction, with feedback indicating that participants found the session well presented, successful at highlighting key messages, and effective in using evidence-based practice. 88% of participants agreed the IMPACT campaign increased their understanding of the management and assessment of pain, and prescribing of opioids and other resources available to prescribers. The majority (85%) wished to see this form of education being repeated regularly in the future for other therapeutic areas. Analysis of the prescribing data demonstrated that the total volume of opioid analgesics decreased by 1.7% post-intervention in the Midlands CCG in response to the pharmacist-led educational intervention. As supported by literature, the use of educational strategies, including material dissemination and reminders as well as group educational outreach was effective in engaging clinicians, as demonstrated by the reduction in opioid prescribing and high GP satisfaction in this campaign. Conclusion The IMPACT campaign was effective at disseminating pain-specific guidelines for opioid prescribing to clinicians, leading to a decrease in overall prescribing of opioid analgesics. Educational outreach as an approach is practical and a valuable means to improve prescribing by continuing medical education.

Medication Education Pilot Program for Heart Transplant Patients

Purpose As a high volume solid organ transplant center, we implemented a medication education didactic (MED) pilot program as a quality improvement initiative to enhance patient knowledge, increase patient and provider engagement, reduce medication errors, and identify target patient populations for more intense education interventions. Methods After reviewing our current practice of medication education, we initiated a MED program incorporating auditory, visual and kinesthetic teaching materials and enrolled 31 patients. Pharmacist-led educational interventions included a sample discharge medication list, medication flashcards, and a pre and post teaching assessment. Provider interventions included implementation of virtual rounding, coordinated discharge medication handoff between multidisciplinary staff, and creation of patient education videos. Results Our primary outcome analyzed patients’ pre and post education assessment scores, with a mean pretest score of 55.11 + 15.523 and a mean posttest score of 90.46 + 10.167. Post test scores comparing English versus non-native English speakers were 93.32% and 75.94%, respectively. To assess patient and provider engagement, we administered surveys to staff and a cohort of patients. After MED program, 93.33% of patients reported feeling moderately to extremely knowledgeable about their medications. 70% of staff observed a positive change in provider engagement and 90% reported that new virtual rounding has been at least moderately beneficial. Chart reviews for each patient demonstrated no recorded medication errors in their first 30-days post discharge. Conclusion Our study suggests intensive teaching from a dedicated pharmacist greatly increases patient medication knowledge. We identified non-native English-speakers would benefit from more intensive education sessions prior to discharge and are developing additional translated written materials and videos. Our initial data also suggests the MED program to be a highly effective method for improving patient outcomes and quality of care. Further research is ongoing to fully characterize the benefits of MED program implementation. Due to the overwhelming success of this pilot study, MED program initiatives have expanded across our institution's solid organ transplant programs.

Effect of pharmacist-led intervention on predictors of diabetic neuropathy at two different hospitals of Malaysia

Context: Diabetes mellitus is a progressive disease. In poor glycemic control, it can cause severe and non-reversible complications. A proper educational intervention from health care providers is needed for patients to decrease the progression of diabetes and its complications. Aims: To evaluate the effect of pharmacist-led educational intervention on predictors of diabetic neuropathy in patients. Methods: From two tertiary care hospitals, diabetic patients were randomly selected and divided into the control and intervention groups. The control group contained 200 patients who were getting traditional treatment from hospitals. In contrast, the intervention group included 200 patients who were receiving conventional treatment together with separate counseling sessions with pharmacists. The study continued for one year, and four follow up visits for both groups. A pre-validated data collection form was used to collect data for the signs and symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 24 was used to analyze the data. Results: The average HbA1c values decreased by up to 1.96% in the control group and 3.41% in the intervention group from baseline data. A statistically significant (p&lt;0.05) difference in HbA1c among both of the study groups at every follow-up. The results of univariate and multivariate regression analysis showed that a statistically significant difference was observed in the improvement of signs and symptoms of diabetic neuropathy among both of the study groups. Conclusions: Statistically significant reduction in the sign and symptoms of diabetic neuropathy was observed in the intervention group at the end of one year.

Impact of pharmacist-led interventions on asthma patients’ knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy: single-blind randomised controlled trial

Abstract Objectives Asthma is a common chronic disease and education is a critical component of chronic disease management. This study assessed the impact of pharmacist-led educational interventions on asthma patients' knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy. Methods This single-blind, three-arm, prospective, randomized, controlled and parallel group study was conducted in the Respiratory Units of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu State and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos State between March 2016 and September 2017. The three arms, in a 1 : 1 : 1 ratio, were: Usual Care, Individual Intervention and Caregiver-assisted Intervention. The Intervention arms received education, to varying degrees, for six months. The Usual Care arm received no education. The Knowledge, Attitude and Self-Efficacy-Asthma Questionnaire was filled at baseline, three months and six months. Data were analysed using the IBM SPSS Version 25.0 with statistical significance set as P &amp;lt; 0.05. Key findings Seventy-eight (78) asthma patients participated; 39 per hospital; 13 in each arm. Patients in both Intervention arms possessed significantly better asthma knowledge compared to Usual Care at three months (13.73 versus 5.88, P &amp;lt; 0.001/12.81 versus 5.88, P &amp;lt; 0.001) and six months (14.31 versus 5.77, P &amp;lt; 0.001/13.23 versus 5.77, P &amp;lt; 0.001). Only the Individual Intervention arm demonstrated significantly better attitudes (84.92 versus 79.77; P = 0.047) and self-efficacy (86.12 versus 80.73, P = 0.006) compared to Usual Care at three months and six months, respectively. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of educating patients directly, as much as possible.

Oral medications administration through enteral feeding tube: Clinical pharmacist-led educational intervention to improve knowledge of Intensive care units’ nurses at Jordan University Hospital

IntroductionMedication administration through enteral feeding tubes is a practice that is commonly encountered in hospital settings, particularly in critically ill patients. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge of intensive care unit nurses regarding enteral medication administration and evaluate the effect of an educational intervention led by a clinical pharmacist that would improve nurses’ knowledge regarding the subject. MethodsA pre/post interventional study was conducted. Improvement in nurses’ knowledge regarding medication administration through an enteral feeding tube was assessed using a validated questionnaire. ResultsData were coded, entered, and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS statistics 22). Independent samples t-test and paired t-test were used to detect any statistically significant differences in the mean total knowledge scores both between and within each group respectively. A P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean total knowledge score for nurses in the intervention and control group at the pre-interventional phase of the study was inadequate. There was a statistically significant improvement in the mean total knowledge score for the interventional group at the post-interventional phase of the study, while that of the control group remained inadequate (Intervention group total mean knowledge score at baseline 12.11 ± 3.75, post-intervention 21.50 ± 2.36, p-value <0.001; Control group total mean knowledge score at baseline 12.05 ± 3.12, post-intervention 12.60 ± 3.76, p-value 0.96). ConclusionIncorrect drug preparation and administration for patients with feeding tubes can affect patients. The knowledge of nurses regarding the subject can be improved significantly via an educational intervention. The activation of clinical pharmacists’ role and collaboration between pharmacists, physicians, and nurses is highly recommended in this clinical setting.