Characteristic of drug-related problems and pharmacists' interventions in a stroke unit in Thailand

Background Little information is available regarding pharmacist's intervention to solve drug-related problems (DRPs) in a stroke unit. Objective To investigate the nature and frequency of DRPs along with the role of pharmacists in a stroke unit. Setting The study was conducted at the stroke unit of Siriraj hospital, a university affiliated tertiary care hospital in Thailand. Method A retrospective descriptive study of DRPs and pharmacists' interventions for stroke patients was performed during July 2015 to December 2016. Data were collected from patient's medical records and pharmacist's intervention record forms. DRPs were categorized using the Hepler-Strand classification. The stroke pharmacist team, consisting of a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist, neurology pharmacy residents and stroke unit pharmacists, participated in the multidisciplinary ward round in the stroke unit 5 days a week. All patients were visited by a member of the stroke pharmacist team within the first two days of their admission to conduct a thorough review of drug therapy for every patient and provided appropriate recommendation to the multidisciplinary team either verbally during the ward round or with written information in the patients' medical charts, as appropriate. Main Outcome Measure (a) incidence and characteristics of DRPs (b) types and the acceptance of pharmacists' interventions. Results A total of 859 patients were admitted, of those, 768 patients had ≥ 1 DRPs and a total of 796 DRPs were identified. Clinical pharmacists provided 659 interventions to the multidisciplinary team. The most common DRPs identified were "untreated indications" (22.6%) and "non-compliance" (21.0%). Of all DRPs, 74.6% were stroke related issues. The most implicated drugs were antihypertensive drugs, followed by antithrombotic therapies. The multidisciplinary team accepted 84.7% of pharmacists' interventions. Conclusion DRP in a stroke unit is common. Clinical pharmacists in a stroke unit can effectively reduce and prevent DRPs with the focus on performing medication reconciliation, providing recommendation on dosage adjustment and proper drug selection for stroke patients.