Drug-Related Problems and Clinical Pharmacist-Led Medication Therapy Management; Three-Year Survey in an Educational Pharmacotherapy Clinic

Abstract

Objectives Drug-related problems (DRPs) are adverse events or circumstances that interfere with favorable health outcomes. Medication therapy management (MTM) was developed to detect and manage DRP. This study set out to identify DRP-associated factors and reporting of subsequent interventions in a university-affiliated educational pharmacy. Methods This study was conducted from January 2020 to December 2022 at Shahid Kazemi Pharmacy, a large referral community pharmacy in Tehran, Iran. After medication review and complete medical history collection, DRPs were identified classified, and necessary interventions were performed. Medication adherence and satisfaction were evaluated before and 2–4 weeks after providing the MTM services. Results Within 1432 admissions, 838 patients were included and received 1116 interventions. Among the 1116 DRPs detected, the most common were drug information (27.4%), difficulty using dosage forms (26.3%), and any toxicity, allergic reaction, or adverse effects related to medications (12.8%). A significant association was detected between the number of DRPs and the age, the number of medications, and underlying chronic diseases (P < 0.05). Adjusting the age association of the number of medications and the number of underlying chronic diseases remained significant. The use of medications related to the alimentary tract and metabolism, medications affecting the blood and hematopoietic organs, medications affecting the cardiovascular system, antineoplastic and immunomodulatory medications, and medications affecting the nervous system were significantly associated with a higher risk for the occurrence of DRPs (P < 0.05). Conclusions Community pharmacy-led MTM services have a significant impact on DRP detection, management, medication adherence, and pharmacotherapy satisfaction.