The impact of Clinical Pharmacist Lead Collaborative Care on Quality Of Life of the Patients with Bipolar Disorder: A Unicenter Prospective, Randomization Study

Abstract

Background: Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental illness, characterized by the presence of manic, depressive and cyclic episodes, usually separated by asymptomatic intervals. Illness significantly affects the patients’ quality of life. Hence, clinical pharmacists can contribute to managing the disease condition of the patients, mainly with the use of effective and safe drugs, and improve the patient’s quality of life through pharmaceutical care. Methods/design: A Randomized, interventional, prospective study was performed on 304 patients, to compare and assess the impact of pharmaceutical care with the usual care. Patients with bipolar disorder, aged 18 to 65 years, who have been discharged from the outpatient department were randomized and enrolled in the study. The intervention group patients’ were served with pharmaceutical care, which was provided by clinical pharmacists, Psychiatrists and Nurses, on other hand control group patients were treated with the usual care. Quality of life of the patients was assessed at the baseline level to 3rd, 6th and 9th months of the follow-up. Result: Total 266 patients were completed the study. No statistically significant difference was observed at the demographic level and baseline level quality of life (p=0.547) in both the group. After the intervention in the interventional group, significant (p<0.001) improvement in the quality of life were observed during the study period. Conclusion: conducted study shows that, clinical pharmacist lead collaborative care can enhance the patients’ quality of life in compared to usual care, which is showing that, the participation of clinical pharmacist in psychiatry settings may lead to integration in health care delivery systems.