Abstract

CLINICAL PHARMACIST ROLES IN NEPHROLOGY UNIT: A MULTIFOCUSED APPROACH

Taniya Jacob*, Joyal S. and Sambathkumar R.

ABSTRACT

In India it accounts about 1 out of 10,000 people are affected from chronic kidney disease and approximately one lakh new diagnosis are with end stage renal disease annually. As a result of polypharmacy, intermittent medication modifications on dialysis versus non-dialysis days, medically erratic nature of the disease and restricted life styles, these patients are at greater risk for developing drug related problems and non-adherence. Pharmacists can play an important role in identifying drug therapy problems, resolving and preventing potential drug therapy problems through careful pharmaceutical practices. All the studies related to pharmacist interventions towards chronic kidney disease, Renal transplant and dialysis patients showed enhanced health outcomes. With the collaboration with nephrologists clinical pharmacist can maximise the adherence to therapy by reducing the drug therapy problems, duration of hospital stay by dosage adjustments and other clinical pharmacy services and make cost effectiveness. Future studies should focus on optimizing these interventions in renal patients benefit from pharmacist involvement and improving cost-effectiveness. In future, every hospital in India must have clinical pharmacists in nephrology units, so the quality of life will be improved and also for the betterment of therapy.

Keywords: Pharmacist intervention, chronic kidney disease, roles and responsibility, renal transplant.