Pharmacist Led Intervention in the Management of Anemia Among Pregnant Woman

Pharmacist Led Intervention in the Management of Anemia Among Pregnant woman-a Randomized Controlled Trial

Anemia is a major public health problem among pregnant women, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. It is characterized by a reduction in hemoglobin concentration or the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, which may be insufficient to meet the physiological needs of the body. Maternal anemia is associated with an increased risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.

Despite the high prevalence of anemia among pregnant women, poor medication adherence and inadequate understanding of prescribed therapy may limit treatment effectiveness. Pharmacists can play an important role in providing medication-related education, improving patients' understanding of their treatment, identifying barriers to adherence, and promoting appropriate medication use. However, evidence on pharmacist-led educational interventions to improve medication adherence and hemoglobin levels among anemic pregnant women in Pakistan remains limited.

Therefore, this randomized controlled trial will be conducted to evaluate the effect of a structured pharmacist-led educational intervention on medication adherence and hemoglobin levels among anemic pregnant women in District Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan.

A total of 100 eligible pregnant women diagnosed with anemia will be recruited and randomly allocated into intervention and control groups. Participants in the intervention group will receive a structured pharmacist-led educational intervention in addition to routine care, while participants in the control group will receive routine antenatal care and standard anemia management.

Medication adherence and hemoglobin levels will be assessed at baseline and after the intervention. The study will determine whether pharmacist-led educational counseling improves medication adherence and hemoglobin levels compared with routine care.

Data will be analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26. A paired-sample t-test will be used to compare changes in continuous variables, particularly hemoglobin levels, between baseline and post-intervention assessments. McNemar's test will be used to assess changes in paired categorical variables, including medication adherence where appropriate. A p-value of <0.05 will be considered statistically significant.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Pregnant woman
2. Hb <11g/dl
3. Having Punjab domicile-

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients with co-morbidities
2. Patients with Hb >11g/dl
3. Outside the Punjab domicile