Pharmacist-nurse collaborations in medication adherence-enhancing interventions: A review.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare providers play an important role in addressing medication adherence. Pharmacists and nurses are qualified in this field even though they have different expertise. They both claim their role at the patient's side in collaboration with physicians. To avoid care duplication, such interprofessional collaborations must be carefully defined. The objectives of our review were to 1) identify medication adherence-enhancing interventions involving pharmacists and nurses; 2) describe their respective roles. METHODS: Literature searches were conducted in PubMed/Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library. Screening criteria were medication adherence-enhancing interventions, at least a pharmacist and nurse collaborating with/without other healthcare professionals, role description, outpatient settings, at least one oral treatment, adult patients. RESULTS: After screening, 21 references fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Pharmacists and nurses were both in a strategic position to identify eligible patients for adherence interventions, to assess and promote adherence. Pharmacists specifically ensured treatment efficacy, security and access, they provided information on the medication and related lifestyle advice. Nurses clinically co-managed patients with physicians; they also provided patients with information on their disease. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacist-nurse medication adherence-enhancing interventions are rare and often in a nascent phase. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS The results of our review should help in designing new pharmacist-nurse medication adherence-enhancing interventions.