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Comprehensive assessment of treatment related problems in hospitalized medicine patients in Jordan

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Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence and characteristics of treatment related problems (TRPs) in hospitalized internal medicine patients in Jordan as well as to identify diseases and drugs associated with each specific TRP. We have also aimed at investigating physicians’ acceptance of recommendations made by clinical pharmacist and to identify the outcomes of pharmacist interventions. Setting Internal medicine department of a general hospital in Jordan. Methods We have utilized a systematic, prospective, bedside, comprehensive clinical assessment approach that allowed us to effectively identify, communicate and follow up TRPs. Main outcome measures: prevalence and nature of identified TRPs, clinical significance of TRPs, associated diseases and drugs and clinical outcomes of clinical pharmacist interventions. Results 402 patients were included in the study. The average number of the identified TRPs was 9.35. Fifty-three percent of identified TRPs were classified as major and 28% were classified as moderate. Ninety-one percent of the recommendations were accepted by physicians. Efficacy related problems were the most common TRP category followed by safety related problems and indication related problems. Sixty-four percent of the TRPs were resolved or prevented through the clinical pharmacist intervention. Conclusions We have found that prevalence of TRPs is substantially high among patients hospitalized at the internal medicine department. TRPs related to Dosage regimens, untreated conditions, patient monitoring, drug interactions, and drug choices were the most common. Most of TRPs identified by pharmacists were clinically significant. Pharmacists’ interventions contributed substantially to the resolving of many of the identified TRPs. Patients suffering from higher number of medical conditions and receiving higher number of medications should be given the priority for clinical pharmacy service in hospitalized internal medicine patients.

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Acknowledgment

The authors wish to thank all patients, pharmacists and physicians who contributed to the success of this work.

Funding

The authors wish to acknowledge the Deanship of Academic Research at the University of Jordan for funding this research which was part of the “Pharmaceutical Care Project in Jordan”.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

    Salah M. AbuRuz, Nailya R. Bulatova, Al-Moatasem M. Yousef & Mutasim A. Al-Ghazawi

  2. Department of Pharmaceutical Care, Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan

    Salah M. AbuRuz

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jordan and Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan

    Izzat A. Alawwa & Akram Al-Saleh

Authors
  1. Salah M. AbuRuz
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  2. Nailya R. Bulatova
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  3. Al-Moatasem M. Yousef
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  4. Mutasim A. Al-Ghazawi
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  5. Izzat A. Alawwa
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  6. Akram Al-Saleh
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Correspondence to Salah M. AbuRuz.

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AbuRuz, S.M., Bulatova, N.R., Yousef, AM.M. et al. Comprehensive assessment of treatment related problems in hospitalized medicine patients in Jordan. Int J Clin Pharm 33, 501–511 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-011-9497-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-011-9497-y

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