CLINICAL PHARMACIST’S EDUCATION IMPROVED PATIENTS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT AND ADHERENCE TO WARFARIN
Nahid Osman Ahmed*, Bashier Osman, Yassein Mohamed Abdelhai and Tariq Muhammed Hashim El-Hadiyah
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Warfarin has a narrow therapeutic index, requiring careful patient monitoring and frequent dose adjustments. Patient knowledge about, and adherence is crucial in anticoagulation management. Never the less some studies have shown that most patients have poor warfarin knowledge. Materials and Methods: One hundred thirty five participants were recruited. One-group pretest – posttest study was carried out in warfarin clinic patients in Ahmed Gasim hospital. The study compared patients' knowledge about, and adherence to warfarin before and after clinical pharmacist provide patient education and follow up. Results: Ninety nine (73.3%) were female, the main warfarin indication is mitral valve replacement (48.1%), mean age (41.8±13.0). The mean of the right answers of the knowledge questionnaire improved significantly (P<0.001) after clinical pharmacist intervention, and significantly (P< 0.001) decreased low scores of warfarin adherence and increased high scores of warfarin adherence in adherence scale. Conclusion: Patient education and follow up provided by clinical pharmacist in warfarin clinic improved patient knowledge about and adherence to warfarin.
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