{
  "abstract": "Background and Importance Heart failure (HF) affects 1–2% of adults in developed countries and is associated with high 30-day post-admission mortality (≈10%) and readmission (≈15%) rates. Optimising medical therapy is essential to improve outcomes. Pharmacists embedded within hospital or ambulatory care teams can enhance therapy optimisation and adherence, yet the impact of these interventions on clinical outcomes in HF is incompletely defined. Determining their effect on hospitalisations can inform the design of multidisciplinary HF care programmes.Aim and Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the impact of hospital-affiliated pharmacist interventions on all-cause and HF-specific hospitalisations among adult patients with heart failure.Materials and Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. PubMed and Embase were searched for randomised controlled trials published up to November 2024. Eligible studies compared pharmacist interventions with usual care and reported hospitalisation or mortality outcomes. Interventions delivered in community pharmacies or home-based settings were excluded. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Random-effects models (DerSimonian–Laird) were used to calculate pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Statistical heterogeneity was quantified using the I 2 statistic and Cochrane’s Q test.Results Eleven randomised controlled trials were included, enrolling 3576 patients with HF. Pharmacist interventions significantly reduced all-cause hospitalisations compared with usual care (3472 patients, 927 events; OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.49–0.92, p=0.0119). Similarly, HF-related hospitalisations were reduced (3442 patients, 504 events; OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.48–0.87, p=0.0038). Heterogeneity was moderate across analyses and sensitivity analyses confirmed robustness. Subgroup analyses suggested greater effectiveness in outpatient programmes and when interventions were longitudinal.Conclusion and Relevance Hospital-based pharmacist interventions substantially reduced all-cause and HF-specific hospitalisations across inpatient and outpatient settings. These results underscore the value of integrating pharmacists within multidisciplinary HF care teams to improve outcomes and reduce re-hospitalisation risk. Future research should clarify the optimal structure and duration of pharmacist involvement.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Hospital Pharmacy Department, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium",
        "Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium"
      ],
      "name": "L Van der Linden"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Pharmacy Practice, University, Leuven, Belgium"
      ],
      "name": "C Beavers"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Pharmacy, Hospital, Leuven, Belgium"
      ],
      "name": "P Forsyth"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Anaesthetics and Critical Care, University, Leuven, Belgium",
        "Cardiology and Cardiac Intensive Care, Hospital, Leuven, Belgium"
      ],
      "name": "C Vandenbriele"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University, Leuven, Belgium"
      ],
      "name": "RT Tsuyuki"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University Medical Centre, Leuven, Belgium",
        "Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Cardiovascular Research Institute, University, Leuven, Belgium"
      ],
      "name": "F Karapinar-Carkıt"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Cardiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium",
        "Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium"
      ],
      "name": "L Van Aelst"
    }
  ],
  "title": "NP-002 Impact of pharmacist interventions on hospitalisations in heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis",
  "uid": "fc3f7035-5eb6-5662-a405-505ca445c812"
}