Effects of Integrated Pharmaceutical Care for Palliative Care Patients at Home and Hospital, Bamnet Narong Hospital, Chaiyaphum Province

Abstract

     This study aimed to evaluate the effects of integrated pharmaceutical care on drug-related problems (DRPs), medication errors, pain levels, and satisfaction among palliative care patients, caregivers, and multidisciplinary team members at Bamnet Narong Hospital, Chaiyaphum Province. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was employed. The sample comprised 32 palliative care patients, 32 primary caregivers, and 10 multidisciplinary team members, with data collected from February to July 2025. The intervention consisted of three components: hospital-based pharmaceutical services, home visits, and telephone follow-ups. Outcome variables were assessed using the PCNE DRP Classification V9.1 for drug-related problems, the NCC MERP criteria for medication errors, the Numeric Rating Scale for pain intensity, and a five-point Likert scale questionnaire for satisfaction. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests, with the level of statistical significance set at 0.05.

     Following the intervention, DRPs decreased from 66 to 34 cases, a 48.5% reduction, with the mean DRPs per patient declining from 2.06 ± 1.21 to 1.06 ± 0.84 (p < .001). The medication error rate declined from 6.25 to 2.08 per 1,000 patient-days, a 66.7% reduction. Pain scores among 22 patients with complete data decreased from 5.68 ± 2.14 to 2.27 ± 1.88 (p < .001). Satisfaction was rated at the highest level across all groups: patients (4.62 ± 0.40), caregivers (4.66 ± 0.39), and multidisciplinary teams (4.76 ± 0.35).