The impact of pharmaceutical care provided by pharmacist along with text‑message reminders and financial incentives, on the management of newly diagnosed tubercular patients: a randomized controlled trial
Farman Ullah Khan1,2,3,4, Faiz Ullah Khan1,2,3,4, Asim.ur.Rehman5, Ali Hassan Gillani1,2,3,4, Jie Chang 1,2,3,4, Khezar Hayat1,2,3,4, Sumaira Omer1,2,3,4, Naveel Atif 1,2,3,4, Wenjing Ji 1,2,3,4, Yu Fang1,2,3,4

1Department of Pharmacy Administration and Clinical Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China; 2Center for Drug Safety and Policy Research, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
3Shaanxi Center for Health Reform and Development Research, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China; 4Research Institute for Drug Safety and Monitoring, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, China’s Western Technological Innovation Harbor, Xi’an, China; 5 Department of Pharmacy Quaid.i.Azam University Islamabad Pakistan

ABSTRACT
Background
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading public health problem worldwide. Non-adherence to TB treatment is the main cause of the increase in drug resistance cases. The tailoring of short text messages and good patient-pharmacist communication (patient centered care) may improve the percentage of treatment outcomes. This trail aims to assess the effectiveness of pharmacist intervention and short messages (SMS) on treatment outcomes in improving adherence, knowledge about the disease and health-related quality of life among TB patients.
Methods
In this, randomized single blind, controlled trial, parallel group (1:1), usual care and intervention care groups, patients will be equally allocated to receive either pharmaceutical and SMS reminder or standard care. The primary outcome is a combined treatment cure rate (via after declaration outcome by TB center or endpoint result) and secondary outcomes include medication adherence by eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and pill count, follow up visits, patient disease quality of life and patient feasibility and satisfaction with the intervention.
Discussion
The trial involves pharmacists to deliver pharmaceutical care with SMS combination to improve treatment outcomes patients with TB. However, it has been confirming that the DOTS approach is effective in the fight against TB, but its application remains very challenging in low-income countries. This study could set the foundation of pharmaceutical care and mobile SMS for the future provision of care and support to DOTS strategy for the improvement of TB care outcomes in remote areas of low-income countries.
Key words
Randomized controlled trial, Pharmacist intervention, Pharmaceutical care, Tuberculosis, SMS, Medication adherence

Farman Ullah Khan MS

Xi'an Jiaotong University Shaanxi Province China

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