Pharmacist-led antiarrhythmic counseling clinic for supraventricular tachycardia in congenital heart disease patients.

BACKGROUND

Pharmacist provision in pediatric arrhythmia service is limited in low- to middle-income countries, despite this chronic condition demands adherence to prescribed regimens for better therapeutic outcomes. Pharmacist-led education to caregivers in developed countries resulted in better compliance with treatment; however, no similar studies were conducted in low and middle-income countries (Pakistan).

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of pharmacist counseling on patients' and caregivers' knowledge of supraventricular arrhythmia care, and the participants' satisfaction with the pharmacist's services in the electrophysiology domain. To address this gap, an outpatient pharmacist-arrhythmia service was established in collaboration with an electro physiologist to assess the impact of pharmacist counseling on patients' knowledge of supraventricular arrhythmia care In patients with congenital heart defects.

METHODS

This quasi-experimental study was conducted at a cardiac tertiary care center in Pakistan. Caregivers received individualized counseling sessions from a pharmacist. Knowledge was assessed at baseline and two weeks post-counseling using a 22-item questionnaire (score range 0-100). Satisfaction was measured immediately after counseling via a 7-item, 5-point scale (score range 7-35).

RESULTS

Among 110 participants, the knowledge questionnaire demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92). Median knowledge scores improved significantly from 50 [36.4-68.2] at baseline to 86.4 [81.8-83.4] post-counseling (p < 0.001). The average satisfaction score was 34.3 ± 0.8.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacist-led counseling significantly enhances understanding of antiarrhythmic therapy in supraventricular arrhythmia, supporting its integration into outpatient care in resource-limited settings.