Clinical Effectiveness of Renal Transplant Outpatient Pharmaceutical Care Services in Korea

Abstract

Background: The necessity and importance of pharmaceutical care services (PCS) are well recognized, yet the concept and scope of PCS have not yet been clearly defined in Korea, particularly in kidney transplantation outpatient clinics. Aim: The main purpose of this study is to evaluate whether PCS is effective in the outpatient setting for kidney transplant patients. Methods: For three years, a clinical pharmacist provided PCS to kidney transplant patients in an outpatient setting to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of PCS. Results: A total of 302 patients were matched in a 1:1 ratio, with 151 in the PCS group and 151 in the control group. These patients were followed, and a total of 476 interventions were provided to them, including medication reconciliation (n = 113, 23.7%), medication evaluation and management (n = 186, 39.1%), and pharmaceutical care transition (n = 177, 37.2%) services. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) exhibited a notable difference between the control and PCS groups when comparing the pre- and post-study periods measurements. In the control group, there was a decline of 7.0 mL/min/1.73 m2 in eGFR. In contrast, the PCS group showed a smaller decline of 2.5 mL/min/1.73 m2 (p = 0.03). The adjusted odds ratio for end stage renal disease development in the PCS group was 0.51 (95% confidence interval: 0.26–0.96), indicating a significantly lower risk compared to the control group. Conclusion: Our study highlights the promising potential of PCS implementation in kidney transplantation outpatient clinics. Further research is needed to validate and expand upon these findings, especially in diverse clinical settings.