In a systematic review, researchers explored the role of clinical pharmacists within a multidisciplinary team treating patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
When it comes to medication management and coordination for patients experiencing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), researchers found that clinical pharmacists can play a key role within a multidisciplinary team to yield the best patient outcomes possible, according to data from a study published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.1
“The incidence and prevalence of [IBD], encompassing Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is increasing worldwide. In the US, the prevalence of IBD has markedly increased by 123% over 9 years. IBD is considered a complex condition, given the various genetic, environmental, and inflammatory mechanisms involved and the heterogeneity of the disease with regard to presentation and phenotype,” wrote the authors.1
Incorporate these strategies into your pharmacy practice to improve patient outcomes.
With the incidence of IBD increasing over the past decade and its classification as a complex condition, it’s important that health care providers take a regimented approach for providing care to patients with the disease. Prior to conducting the study, researchers noted the complexity of IBD, stating that “utilization of multidisciplinary teams is recommended to optimize outcomes.”
Furthermore, explaining the barriers and complexities of treating IBD, authors of another article addressed the lack in access for patients to receive IBD treatment. “While there have been significant and numerous advancements in IBD treatments, patients with IBD continue to experience barriers to health care access and treatment and financial struggles,” wrote the authors.2
Multidisciplinary teams that focus on treating a disease can consist of all kinds of health care providers; for IBD, these teams typically consist of dietitians, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, nurse practitioners, and especially pharmacists—the providers who researchers focused on for this particular study.
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“Presently, there are no commonly accepted definitions or standardization of clinical pharmacists’ roles within an IBD team. This, however, is essential to understanding how clinical pharmacists contribute to the care of patients with IBD, promoting the inclusion of clinical pharmacists as part of the IBD multidisciplinary team, and providing clarity on the necessary training for this role,” they continued.1
Researchers conducted a systematic literature review—with the help of IBD clinical pharmacists and gastroenterologists—to standardize the role of pharmacists within the multidisciplinary structure for treating patients with IBD.
With full-text reviews of 15 different studies included in the results, researchers identified 3 key themes representative of IBD clinical pharmacists’ roles: provision of medication management, optimization of medication adherence, and delivery of targeted services, including transitions of care.1
A panel of 6 clinical pharmacists and 6 gastroenterologists was gathered to address statement appropriateness regarding IBD pharmacist roles. Statements appearing in the systematic review were separated into the following categories: referral indications, medication start, medication monitoring, health maintenance, biosimilars, clinical trials, training and credentials, and practice setting. A total of 281 statements were included in the review and 221 (79%) of them were deemed “appropriate,” with 9% “inappropriate” and 12% uncertain.
“Medication education; medication initiation and monitoring; therapeutic drug monitoring; biosimilar management; health maintenance review; and transitions of care were deemed by the panel to be appropriate roles for IBD clinical pharmacists. In considering real-world settings, IBD clinical pharmacists should practice clinically under a predefined scope and primarily focus on complex treatments. Clinical pharmacists should also be included in practice settings with IBD specialized physicians,” wrote the authors.1
For medication utilization within a multidisciplinary team’s plan for treating patients with IBD, pharmacists enter the mix as the utmost experts on prescription drugs and the management of medications.3 While researchers were sure to mention other health care providers’ roles within multidisciplinary teams, they identified clinical pharmacists as key contributors to any IBD management plans.
“IBD clinical pharmacists are a valuable addition to the multidisciplinary team in providing services related to medication management and coordination as well as to health maintenance. Future studies are warranted to demonstrate the impact of clinical pharmacists alongside the gastroenterologist and multidisciplinary team on IBD patient outcomes,” concluded the authors.1
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