Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Pharmacists are the key members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and inappropriate utilization of medications and devices. This study aimed to observe the clinical value of pharmacist educational intervention (PEI) to optimize the use of interferon-βs in Iranian patients with MS through the involvement of the pharmacotherapy clinic in Shahid Kazemi specialty pharmacy in drug utilization programs. METHODS: This study received ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee of the School of Pharmacy at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, under approval ID IR.SBMU.PHARMACY.REC.1398.240. In this controlled pre-post survey a questionnaire consisting of 17 items assesses the patient's knowledge on the correct use of interferon-βs and the actions needed to reduce the adverse effects (AEs) of the medication and improve the control of the disease symptoms. After testing the questionnaire's validity and reliability based on the opinions of a multidisciplinary expert panel, 15 items remained. 100 patients, who were diagnosed with MS and receiving interferon-βs for at least one year, responded to the questionnaire before and after the PEI. RESULTS: Patients' scores before and after receiving the educational program were 4.90 ± 5.79 and 14.44 ± 0.99, respectively. The results show that most participants do not have satisfying knowledge about their interferons, although they have injected them for more than one year, and there is a significant difference between the knowledge before and after the PEI (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that PEI could improve the pharmacotherapeutic knowledge and awareness of patients with MS about their disease-modifying therapies. Pharmacist-provided managed care is crucial in optimizing patient outcomes and the clinical burden of MS.