Effects of Telepharmacy in Post Ischemic Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Clinical Pharmacy
• Telehealth
• Stroke Management

Background:

• Post-ischemic stroke patients require comprehensive care to manage multiple risk factors and medications.
• Standard pharmaceutical care may have limitations in ensuring optimal medication adherence and clinical outcomes post-discharge.
• Telepharmacy offers a potential solution for extending pharmaceutical care services to patients remotely.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare pharmacist-led telepharmacy with standard care for stroke patients.
• To evaluate the impact on medication knowledge, adherence, and clinical outcomes (BP, LDL-C, HbA1c).
• To characterize medication-related problems (MRPs) and their severity in the telepharmacy group.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 126 hospitalized adults post-ischemic stroke.
• Patients were assigned to standard care or standard care plus structured telepharmacy follow-ups.
• Outcomes assessed via validated questionnaires, adherence scales (MAST), and MRP classification tools (PCNE, NCC MERP).

Main Results:

• Telepharmacy significantly improved post-discharge knowledge (P < .001) and medication adherence (P < .001).
• Higher BP target attainment (52.4% vs 30.2%; P = .011) and improved BP control were observed with telepharmacy.
• 76 MRPs were identified, with unnecessary drug treatment being most frequent; 92.10% of MRPs were resolved.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacist-led telepharmacy enhances knowledge, adherence, and BP control in post-ischemic stroke patients.
• Telepharmacy facilitates effective identification and resolution of medication-related problems.
• Integration of telepharmacy into post-discharge transitional care pathways is recommended.