Drug-related Problems and Pharmacist-led Prescription Interventions in Two Community Pharmacies

Background: Community pharmacists serve as an important checkpoint in the medication-use process by identifying and managing drug-related problems (DRPs).This study evaluated the causes and severity of DRPs and the acceptance rate of pharmacist interventions in community pharmacy practice.Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted in two Korean community pharmacies with different practice settings.Prescriptions requiring pharmacist interventions during a 4-week period were reviewed.DRPs were classified using the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) classification v9.1, and severity was assessed using the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP) index.Results: Among 7,324 prescriptions, 420 (5.73%) required pharmacist interventions, with 426 DRPs identified.Most DRPs originated from prescribing and drug selection (72.07%), particularly therapeutic duplication (52.82%).Dispensing-related causes were mainly associated with drug shortages, whereas patient-related factors included intentional non-adherence.Overall, 85.71% of interventions were accepted and fully implemented, and 86.67% of DRPs were classified as totally solved.Differences in intervention patterns were observed between pharmacies, with more prescriber-level interventions in the hospital-adjacent setting and more patient counseling in the clinic-based setting.Most cases were classified as NCC MERP Category C (97.86%), indicating that errors reached the patient without causing harm.Conclusion: The findings demonstrate the role of community pharmacists in identifying and managing DRPs in routine practice.They also suggest the need for improved integration of prescribing information and expanded access to patient clinical data to support pharmacist-led management of DRPs.