Implementation of depression management by ambulatory care pharmacists in the primary care setting

In the United States, depression is one of the most common mental health disorders. Ambulatory care pharmacists play a critical role in assisting with medication and dosage selection, identifying and managing drug interactions and adverse effects, and increasing medication adherence. Existing data on depression management by ambulatory care pharmacists trained in primary care is limited and outdated.

This study provides insight into current practices for depression management by primary care pharmacy specialists within an academic health center and how pharmacist interventions may impact functional outcomes of depression.

This single-center, retrospective study analyzed 27 patients with a primary care physician within the health system who were seen by an ambulatory care pharmacist for depression. Subjects were excluded if they were under 18 years old, pregnant, or had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or dementia. The primary outcome was characterization of pharmacist interventions for treatment of depression. Secondary outcomes included change in depressive symptoms, as measured by the patient health questionnaire (PHQ), characterization of adverse effects correlated with medications for depression, and utilization of pharmacogenomics testing and results.

Of 27 patients seen by a pharmacist for depression management, 38 total interventions were made, with an average of 1.77 interventions per patient. The most common intervention was new medication initiation (32%). Average PHQ-9 scores dropped from 14.9 to 7.3 twelve weeks following the initial pharmacist visit. Only 6 patients reported adverse effects to a current antidepressant during their visit with the pharmacist, and only 2 of these cases warranted a change in therapy. Ten patients obtained pharmacogenomic testing with pharmacist facilitation.

Pharmacists in the primary care setting are positioned to be an additional resource for depression management and can offer a wide variety of interventions to improve patient health.