Pharmacist Interventions and Drug-Related Problems in CVD Patients: An ECPIS-Based Study

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are rapidly becoming an alarming and more common reason for morbidity and mortality. Drug-related problems (DRPs) are more common among hospitalized patients, and they can increase patient morbidity and mortality. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of pharmacist interventions on DRPs using the Electronic Clinical Pharmacists Intervention Sheet (ECPIS) in patients with CVDs. Methods: A prospective study conducted in Iraq - Baghdad at Ibn-AL-Bitar Center for Cardiac Surgery, in 2024 for 5 months (from January to May), used the ECPIS. The hospital pharmacists who participated in this study were 10 out of 30 pharmacists who worked in the three internal cardiology wards. The pharmacists' hospital screened the files of patients from the first day of admission and follow-up until discharge. They reviewed patients' medication to identify DRPs and medication errors, and the classification of DRPs was conducted by the ECPIS, which is implemented in all Iraqi hospitals. They also documented the interventions made by pharmacists to address these problems. Results: The total number of drugs that caused problems detected by the pharmacists was 187. Proton pump inhibitors were the most frequent drugs found (16.6%), followed by heparin (14.4%), and antibiotics (11.8%). A total of 175 problems were detected, with adverse drug reactions (ADRs) being the most common problem detected (52.6%). The acceptance of interventions provided by the pharmacists to the physicians was 82.9%, while the not accepted interventions were 17.1%. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of pharmacist involvement in identifying and preventing DRPs in patients with CVDs. Pharmacist interventions were frequently successful, demonstrating their role in improving patient safety.