Authors (including presenting author) :
Lee PH(1), Wong WKC(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Department of Pharmacy, Queen Mary Hospital
Introduction :
Medication non-adherence is a common issue among epilepsy patients and may adversely affect treatment outcomes, exerting additional pressure on the healthcare system with increased unscheduled emergency department visits.
Objectives :
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of multi-disciplinary support on adult epilepsy patients by improving their medication adherence.
Methodology :
This was a prospective, non-experimental study of a multi-disciplinary epilepsy patient support programme consisting of pharmaceutical care provided by hospital pharmacist at recruitment and periodically thereafter by community pharmacists, and psychosocial support offered by staff from Patient Resource Centre of Queen Mary Hospital. Medication adherence measured by the Brief Medication Adherence Score (BMAS) was performed before and after the intervention. Drug-related problems (DRPs) identified by pharmacists were documented and characterised.
Result & Outcome :
68 patients were recruited into the patient support programme and 28 patients who completed their follow-up were included in the analysis. Medication adherence of each individual subject significantly improved, as reflected by a significant increase in BMAS score from 80.93 ± 10.62 before intervention to 86.11 ± 7.71 in post-intervention assessment (p < 0.001). There were 19 DRPs identified, majority of which were caused by inappropriate medication use behaviour of subjects. Pharmacists were able to resolve DRPs either by patient education and reassurance, or by escalation to physician care depending on the severity and impact of individual DRPs. Overall, patients are satisfied by and supportive of the multi-disciplinary support programme. Pharmacists can effectively enhance patients’ medication adherence via patient education and medication review. This pilot study presents a feasible, comprehensive model linking hospital out-patient care to community-based care to enhance treatment efficacy and safety throughout their disease journey to improve the continuity of care of this patient population.
