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<article article-type="abstract" dtd-version="1.0" xml:lang="en" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">
<front>
<journal-meta>
<journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">CC</journal-id>
<journal-id journal-id-type="nlm-ta">Cardiol Croat</journal-id>
<journal-title-group>
<journal-title>Cardiologia Croatica</journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="pubmed">Cardiol. Croat.</abbrev-journal-title>
</journal-title-group>
<issn pub-type="ppub">1848-543X</issn>
<issn pub-type="epub">1848-5448</issn>
<publisher><publisher-name>Croatian Cardiac Society</publisher-name></publisher>
</journal-meta>
<article-meta>
<article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">CC 2024 19_11-12_533-4</article-id>
<article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.15836/ccar2024.533</article-id>
<article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="heading"><subject>Extended Abstract</subject></subj-group>
<subj-group subj-group-type="subheading"><subject>Novelties in cardiovascular pharmacotherapy</subject></subj-group>
</article-categories>
<title-group>
<article-title>Optimizing pharmacotherapy by assessing drug therapy problems in an advanced heart failure care center</article-title>
</title-group>
<contrib-group>
<contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2537-9948</contrib-id><name><surname>Lozo</surname><given-names>Emilija Katarina</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"><sup>1</sup></xref><xref ref-type="corresp" rid="cor1">*</xref></contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9585-1563</contrib-id><name><surname>Alebi&#x0107;</surname><given-names>Mirna</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"><sup>1</sup></xref></contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0403-5066</contrib-id><name><surname>Matija&#x0161;evi&#x0107; &#x0160;kerlj</surname><given-names>Jasmina</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"><sup>1</sup></xref></contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7303-5644</contrib-id><name><surname>Kerner</surname><given-names>Nives</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2"><sup>2</sup></xref></contrib>
<aff id="aff1"><label>1</label><institution>University Hospital Centre Zagreb</institution>, <addr-line>Zagreb</addr-line>, <country country="hr">Croatia</country></aff>
<aff id="aff2"><label>2</label><institution>Zadar General Hospital</institution>, <addr-line>Zadar</addr-line>, <country country="hr">Croatia</country></aff>
</contrib-group>
<author-notes>
<corresp id="cor1"><label>*</label>ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Emilija Katarina Lozo, Klini&#x010D;ki bolni&#x010D;ki centar Zagreb, Ki&#x0161;pati&#x0107;eva 12, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia. / Phone: +385-92-2619-566 / E-mail: <email xlink:href="lozo.ek@gmail.com">lozo.ek@gmail.com</email></corresp></author-notes>
<pub-date date-type="pub" publication-format="electronic"><month>11</month><year>2024</year></pub-date>
<pub-date date-type="pub" publication-format="print"><month>11</month><year>2024</year></pub-date>
<volume>19</volume>
<issue>11-12</issue>
<fpage>533</fpage>
<lpage>534</lpage>
<history>
<date date-type="received"><day>13</day><month>10</month><year>2024</year></date>
<date><day>31</day><month>10</month><year>2024</year></date>
</history>
<permissions>
<copyright-statement>Croatian Cardiac Society</copyright-statement>
<copyright-year>2024</copyright-year>
<copyright-holder>Croatian Cardiac Society</copyright-holder>
</permissions>
<kwd-group kwd-group-type="author"><title>KEYWORDS: </title><kwd>drug therapy problem</kwd><kwd>clinical pharmacist</kwd><kwd>advanced heart failure</kwd><kwd>guideline-directed medical therapy</kwd></kwd-group>
</article-meta>
</front>
<body>
<p><bold>Introduction:</bold> Drug therapy problem (DTP) is an undesirable event experienced by a patient that involves drug therapy, interferes with achieving goals of therapy and requires professional judgement to resolve. Providing a medication management service, a pharmacist can ensure that all medications are the most appropriate and effective, the safest possible and taken as intended (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="r1"><italic>1</italic></xref>).The aim of this research was to determine the prevalence of DTPs, interventions of clinical pharmacist and follow-up which includes clinical outcomes.</p>
<p><bold>Patients and Methods:</bold> We included 150 patients in the research, of which 57 patients were in HTx (heart transplant) group, 19 in LVAD (left ventricular assist device) group, 64 in CMP (cardiomyopathy) group and 10 were classified as Others. At the initial assessment patients, DTPs were grouped into 4 categories: indication, effectiveness, safety and adherence. Follow-up was conducted on next following visit. Clinical parameters and number of hospital admission were assessed at the baseline and following visits for all patients, while parameters such as international normalized ratio or tacrolimus concentration were appointed to specific group of patients.</p>
<p><bold>Results:</bold> On average, patients were 57 years old, majority were men (80.00%). The number of prescribed medications was 1734 with an average of 11.5 per patient. Analysis revealed 484 DTP and their distribution overall and among 4 patient groups is shown in <xref ref-type="table" rid="t1"><bold>Table 1</bold></xref>. In HTx group most frequent intervention included immunosuppressants; 85.96% had immunosuppressant values within the therapeutic levels range, compared to 61.40% prior intervention. In the CMP group 82.70% patients had 4 pillars of heart failure therapy at baseline, compared to 89.13% after follow-up. Details about target doses are shown in <xref ref-type="table" rid="t2"><bold>Table 2</bold></xref>. High percentage of four pillars is not surprising considering that prescribers are adopting a guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Achieving target doses of medications was limited by symptomatic hypotension and bradycardia, renal impairment and hyperkalemia. Long-term anticoagulation with warfarin is required after LVAD implantation; 68.42% patients in LVAD group were in the INR range comparable to 89.00% after follow-up. According to the percentage of drug interactions, the narrow therapeutic width of warfarin is predisposing factor for clinically significant interactions.</p>
<table-wrap id="t1" position="float">
<label>TABLE 1</label><caption><title>Distribution and percentage of drug therapy problem between the groups.</title>
</caption>
<table frame="hsides" rules="groups">
<col width="20.01%"/>
<col width="20%"/>
<col width="19.09%"/>
<col width="20.9%"/>
<col width="20%"/>
<thead>
<tr>
<th valign="middle" align="left" scope="col" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>The most common DTP overall</bold></th>
<th valign="middle" align="left" scope="col" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>The most common DTP in HTx</bold></th>
<th valign="middle" align="left" scope="col" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>The most common DTP in CMP</bold></th>
<th valign="top" align="left" scope="col" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>The most common DTP in LVAD</bold></th>
<th valign="middle" align="left" scope="col" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>The most common DTP in Others</bold></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt" scope="row"><bold>Effectiveness:</bold> ineffective dose (15.70%)</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>Effectiveness:</bold> ineffective dose (15.27%)</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>Indication:</bold> untreated condition (17.46%)</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>Indication:</bold> untreated condition (19.67%)</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>Indication:</bold> untreated condition (19.35%)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt" scope="row"><bold>Effectiveness:</bold> needs additional monitoring (14.88%)</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>Effectiveness:</bold> needs additional monitoring (14.29%)</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>Effectiveness:</bold> ineffective dose (15.34%); needs additional monitoring (15.34%)</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>Effectiveness:</bold> ineffective dose (18.03%); needs additional monitoring (16.39%)</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>Effectiveness:</bold> ineffective dose (16.13%)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt" scope="row"><bold>Indication:</bold> untreated condition (13.84%)</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>Safety:</bold> dose too<break/>high (12.32%)</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>Effectiveness:</bold> more effective drug available (12.70%)</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>Safety:</bold> drug interaction (16.39%)</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>Effectiveness:</bold> needs additional monitoring (12.90%)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt" scope="row"><bold>Percentage of DTP</bold><break/><bold>in categories:</bold></td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt">41.94%</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt">39.04%</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt">12.61%</td>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt">6.41%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle" colspan="5" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.75pt" scope="col">DTP <italic>=</italic> drug therapy problem; HTx = heart transplant group; CMP = cardiomyopathy group; LVAD = left ventricular assist device group;</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table></table-wrap>
<table-wrap id="t2" position="float">
<label>TABLE 2</label><caption><title>Percentage of patients with target doses of guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.</title>
</caption>
<table frame="hsides" rules="groups">
<col width="20.86%"/>
<col width="14.93%"/>
<col width="13.44%"/>
<col width="13.44%"/>
<col width="14.93%"/>
<col width="22.4%"/>
<thead>
<tr>
<th valign="middle" align="left" scope="col" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"></th>
<th valign="middle" align="center" scope="col" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>ARNI</bold></th>
<th valign="middle" align="center" scope="col" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>BB</bold></th>
<th valign="middle" align="center" scope="col" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>MRA</bold></th>
<th valign="middle" align="center" scope="col" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>SGLT2i</bold></th>
<th valign="top" align="center" scope="col" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt"><bold>4 PILLARS</bold></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt" scope="row"><bold>After intervention</bold></td>
<td valign="middle" align="center" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt">26.92%</td>
<td valign="middle" align="center" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt">11.53%</td>
<td valign="middle" align="center" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt">80.77%</td>
<td valign="middle" align="center" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt">90.38%</td>
<td valign="top" align="center" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt">82.70%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt" scope="row"><bold>After follow-up</bold></td>
<td valign="middle" align="center" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt">47.83%</td>
<td valign="middle" align="center" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt">15.22%</td>
<td valign="middle" align="center" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt">82.61%</td>
<td valign="middle" align="center" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt">95.65%</td>
<td valign="top" align="center" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.25pt">89.13%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle" colspan="6" align="left" style="border-left: solid 0.75pt; border-top: solid 0.25pt; border-right: solid 0.75pt; border-bottom: solid 0.75pt" scope="col">ARNI: angiotensin receptor/neprilysin inhibitor; BB: beta blocker, MRA: mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists; SGLT2i: sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table></table-wrap>
<p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> As a part of multidisciplinary team, clinical pharmacists have essential role in identifying and resolving DTPs, simplifying complex regimens and providing individualized education thus ensuring patient safety and having positive impact on clinical outcomes.</p>
</body>
<back>
<ref-list>
<title>LITERATURE</title>
<ref id="r1"><label>1</label><mixed-citation publication-type="book">Cipolle RJ, Strand L, Morley P. Pharmaceutical Care Practice: The Patient-Centered Approach to Medication Management. 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill; 2012.</mixed-citation></ref>
</ref-list>
</back>
</article>
