Impact of Pharmacist Counselling on Knowledge, and Medication Adherence in Tuberculosis Patients: A Quasi-Experimental Design

Pharmaceutical Science-Pharmacy practice for good health promotion

Abstract

Medication adherence and knowledge towards tuberculosis management are very important to cure and to prevent resistant tuberculosis. The study aims to evaluate the impact of pharmacist delivered counseling services on knowledge and medication  adherence  levels  of tuberculosis  patients.  This is  a quasi-experimental  design  without  control  conducted in  an infectious unit of a secondary care referral hospital located in rural settings of Anantapur district, India. The study protocol was approved by the institutional review board. A suitable data collection form was used to collect the knowledge and medication adherence levels of the study participants, A total of 258 smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients were recruited in the study.  More  than  half  of  the  participants  belonged  to  male  gender  with  a  mean  age  of  48.1±15.3years.  Majority  of  the participants  had  smoking  and  alcohol  consumption  habits  (30.6%),  coolie  as  occupation  (37.9%),  and  no  formal  education (36.4%). The mean knowledge score was significantly improved from baseline to first follow-up, and first follow-up  to second follow-up, and baseline to second follow-up visits with a P <0.05. There was a significant difference in the medication adherence levels measured by pill-count method at baseline, 1st  follow-up, and 2nd  follow-up visits with P <0.05. The study concludes that pharmacist  mediated  counseling  in  tuberculosis  patient  showed  a  significant  improvement  in  knowledge  and  medication adherence levels from baseline to 1st  and 2nd  follow-up visits. Knowledge regarding causes, mode of transmission, symptoms, management and prevention of tuberculosis are most important to minimize spread of infection and drug resistance.