Evaluating the Impact of Clinical Pharmacist Interventions on Medication Adherence and Clinical Outcomes among Heart Failure Patients in Cardiology Practice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64105/4w083j17Keywords:
Heart Failure, Clinical Pharmacist, Medication Adherence, Nyha Class, Hospitalization, Patient CounselingAbstract
Background: Clinical pharmacist treatments have shown the ability to enhance clinical outcomes and medication adherence in patients with heart failure.
Objective: To evaluate the impact of clinical pharmacist-led interventions on medication adherence and clinical outcomes among heart failure patients in a cardiology practice.
Methodology: This prospective, randomized, interventional study was conducted at the Department of Cardiology, Pakistan Institute of Medical Science (PIMS), Islamabad, from August 2024 to July 2025. The intervention group (n = 110) received systematic clinical pharmacist counseling and follow-up, while the control group (n = 110) received conventional treatment. A total of 220 adult heart failure patients were recruited and randomly allocated to either group. The Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) was used to measure medication adherence at baseline, three months, and six months. During the 6-month follow-up, clinical outcomes such as hospitalization frequency and NYHA functional class were tracked. Multivariate logistic regression, independent t-tests, and chi-square tests were used to examine the data.
Results: Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups. At 6 months, 88 patients (80.0%) in the intervention group achieved ≥1-point improvement in MMAS-8 scores compared to 49 patients (44.55%) in the control group (p < 0.001). Functional improvement of ≥1 NYHA class was observed in 72 patients (65.45%) versus 41 patients (37.27%) in controls (p < 0.001). Hospitalizations occurred in 21 patients (19.09%) in the intervention group and 43 patients (39.09%) in the control group (p=0.001). Multivariate analysis identified pharmacist-led intervention, higher baseline adherence, and attendance of ≥3 counseling sessions as significant predictors of improved outcomes.
Conclusion: Clinical pharmacist interventions significantly enhance medication adherence, functional status, and reduce hospitalizations in heart failure patients.
