SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF PHARMACIST-LED HOME MEDICATION REVIEWS TO IMPROVE ADHERENCE TO ANTIDIABETIC MEDICATIONS AMONG ADULT TYPE 2 DIABETES PATIENTS

Abstract

Pharmacists can contribute to the improvement in diabetes management and help patients recognise and manage barriers to optimal medication adherence. Home medication review (HMR) services provided by pharmacists could also assist patients in minimising drugrelated problems. This systematic review aimed to evaluate and summarise evidence from recent literature on the effectiveness of pharmacist-led home medication review interventions to improve medication adherence in adult type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Primary research articles published in English from 1st January 2012 to 31st May 2022, were retrieved from five online electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Reviews and the Web of Science). The methodological quality of all included studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklists. The literature search identified 2,178 publications; only four were included in this review. All four studies found that pharmacist-led HMR was associated with significant positive changes in the patient’s medication adherence. Significant improvements were demonstrated either through self-reported medication adherence assessment questionnaires or the pill counting adherence ratio before and after HMR visits. There was evidence of statistically significant effectiveness of pharmacist-led HMR initiatives to improve patient adherence to medication among adult T2DM patients.