Effects of pharmacist-led home visit services and factors influencing medication adherence improvement

by Hwayoung Ahn, Bo-Kyung Byun, Tae-Hoon Lee, Dong-Won Kang, Sun-Kyeong Park

Background

The use of medicines is crucial in treatment, but nonadherence poses an important challenge, particularly when managing polypharmacy and long-term conditions. Pharmacist-led home visit services offer a promising solution to enhance the outcomes associated with medication use. However, the effects and the factors contributing to this improvement remain unclear.

Objective

This study assessed the effects of pharmacist-led home visit services on medication adherence and general medication knowledge. Additionally, we analyzed the factors associated with improved medication adherence.

Methods

Face-to-face, pharmacist-led home visit services were conducted via opportunistic sampling in community settings. Data were collected between 2017 and 2019. The program included participants aged ≥65 years or taking ten or more medications, in need of care, and who were willing to participate. We estimated the effects of the program by improved medication adherence and general knowledge about taking medications. Medication adherence was measured using the Morisky Scale. We used McNemar’s test to evaluate the statistical differences in outcomes before and after consultation. To identify factors influencing improvements in medication adherence, odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using multivariate logistic regression with adjustments for covariates.

Results

Among the 1,194 participants in the program, 874 were included in the analysis. Pharmacist-led home visit services improved both medication adherence (from 69.2% to 85.8%) and mean scores for general knowledge of taking medications (from 65.3% to 89.5%). Participants aged ≥70 years showed less improvement in overall adherence than those aged <70 years (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.317–0.817). The program was significantly more effective at improving adherence for participants with higher level of medication knowledge (OR = 2.93; 95% CI = 1.78–4.81) compared to those with lower level of knowledge.

Conclusion

These quantitative findings highlight the importance of pharmacist-led interventions and suggest a framework for future programs about medication management.