Evaluation of clinical pharmacist interventions in the management of polypharmacy among elderly inpatients

Abstract

Background: Polypharmacy among elderly inpatients is a growing clinical concern, often leading to adverse drug events (ADEs), potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), and increased healthcare utilization. Clinical pharmacist-led interventions have been proposed as a strategy to optimize prescribing and enhance medication safety, yet limited data exist on their impact within inpatient settings. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of clinical pharmacist interventions on the management of polypharmacy among elderly inpatients, focusing on reducing medication count, PIMs, drug-drug interactions (DDIs), and ADEs, and improving overall clinical outcomes. Methods: A prospective comparative study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital over six months, involving 140 elderly patients (≥60 years) with polypharmacy (≥5 medications). Participants were randomized into two groups: the control group received standard care, while the intervention group received pharmacist-led medication review, reconciliation, and counselling in addition to routine care. Data were analyzed using SPSS v26.0, applying Student’s t-test for continuous variables and Chi-square test for categorical data, with p