Investigating the value of medication management review for asthma patients: A randomized controlled study

Abstract

Background: Asthma remains a major worldwide challenge, which threatens health and economies. The vast majority of asthmatics continue to experience uncontrolled asthma; thus, the need for enhancing patients’ awareness, targeting the behavior of both physicians and patients to reach optimal medications’ use is arising. Medication management review (MMR) service can be delivered by pharmacists to help resolve this dilemma. Aims: To assess the clinical and humanistic outcomes of MMR service for asthmatic patients in Jordan. Via this service, the pharmacist identifies treatment related problems (TRPs) and resolves them either directly or by sending the physician a letter with recommendations. Methods: A prospective randomized single blinded intervention-control study was conducted over 15 months, in outpatient clinics of public hospitals in Jordan. Asthmatics were recruited and randomized into intervention and control groups. MMR service was delivered for all patients by the researcher to identify patients’ TRPs based on updated guidelines. Recommendations were sent to intervention patients’ physician for resolution. Pharmacist level recommendations were resolved by pharmacist for the intervention patients. All patients were reassessed at three months. Results: Patients with asthma (n=152) were recruited, and 959 TRPs were identified at baseline with no significant differences between both groups. A significant decrease in TRPs was noticed for the intervention group at follow-up, going down from 6.540±1.685 at baseline to 2.800±0.924 TRP per patient at follow-up (p< 0.001). Regarding TRPs at three-month follow-up, a significant difference (intervention group: 2.800±0.924, control group: 5.920±1.679 control, p< 0.001). Conclusions: MMR service, which was delivered to asthma patients for the first time in Jordan proved successful in identifying and resolving TRPs for asthma patients. Such outcomes are beneficial in improving asthma control for asthma patients in Jordan.