Key result
Clinical pharmacist-led intervention yields ~3.4-fold higher odds of improved medication adherence in heart failure.
Why the study?
Clinical pharmacist treatments have shown potential to improve clinical outcomes and medication adherence in heart failure patients, but their impact in cardiology practice requires evaluation.
Does a clinical pharmacist-led intervention improve medication adherence and clinical outcomes in adult heart failure patients compared to conventional care?
RCT (n=220)
Single-blind
Computer-generated basic randomization sequence
No
Does a clinical pharmacist-led intervention improve medication adherence and clinical outcomes in adult heart failure patients compared to conventional care?
Odds Ratio: 3.42 (95% CI 1.96–5.96)
Absolute Event Rate: 80% vs 44.55%
p-value: p=<0.001
Clinical pharmacist-led interventions significantly improve medication adherence, enhance functional status, and reduce short-term hospitalization rates among patients with heart failure.
Supports pharmacist counseling in heart failure care; extends limited RCT evidence for adherence, functional class, and reduced hospitalizations.
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.
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Ali et al. (2025) conducted an RCT in Heart Failure (n=220). Clinical pharmacist-led interventions vs. Conventional cardiology treatment was evaluated on Medication adherence (≥1-point improvement in MMAS-8 score at 6 months) (AOR 3.42, 95% CI 1.96-5.96, p=<0.001). Clinical pharmacist-led interventions significantly increased medication adherence, with 80% of heart failure patients achieving a ≥1-point improvement in MMAS-8 scores compared to 44.55% with standard care (AOR 3.42).
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