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Review
. 2020 Feb 26:9:49-63.
doi: 10.2147/IPRP.S239672. eCollection 2020.

The Potential Role of the Pharmacist in Supporting Patients with Depression - A Literature-Based Point of View

Maria Kamusheva  1 , Desislava Ignatova  2 , Anna Golda  3 , Agnieszka Skowron  3
Affiliations
Review

The Potential Role of the Pharmacist in Supporting Patients with Depression - A Literature-Based Point of View

Maria Kamusheva et al. Integr Pharm Res Pract. .

Abstract

Objective: The current article is aimed at identifying the best practice for counseling around depression in community and outpatient pharmacies, resulting in a draft guideline, proposing key steps and an algorithm for integration of community pharmacists into care for patients with depression.

Methods: A literature review was performed followed by a detailed analysis, for the purpose of creation a short draft document used as a basis for creation of a guideline for pharmaceutical care for patients with depression. The technological scheme PRISMA flow diagram was applied. The paper is based on current knowledge, taking into consideration already published articles, guidelines, and recommendations about pharmaceutical care for patients with depression, giving a basis for further studies.

Results: This paper includes two main sections: 1) depression - a short description of the main symptoms, risk factors and pharmacotherapy guidelines available in Bulgaria important for the purposes of ensuring qualitative community-based pharmaceutical care; and 2) the pharmacists' role in providing high-quality care - the main aspects of pharmaceutical care for patients with depression with specific examples.

Conclusion: The involvement of pharmacists in supporting depressive patients is crucial taking into account the specific characteristics of the pharmacological treatment: delayed onset of clinical results, risks in case of sudden pharmacotherapy abruption without physician consultation, multiple adverse drug reactions and drug-drug, drug-food and drug-alcohol interactions, etc. The current article could also be used as an initial document for creating a methodological guideline for providing pharmaceutical care services for patients with depression.

Keywords: depression; drug-related problems; guideline; pharmaceutical care; pharmacists.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram. Adapted from: Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, The PRISMA Group (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLoS Med. 6(6): e1000097. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed1000097.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Pharmacotherapy principles for depression. Abbreviation: АD, antidepressants.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Main pharmacological groups antidepressants.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Steps and key element of pharmaceutical care. Abbreviations: ADR, adverse drug reaction; DRP, drug-related problem.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Algorithm for applying pharmaceutical care for patients with depression – initial visit.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Algorithm for applying pharmaceutical care for patients with depression – follow-up visit.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Pharmacists’ advice for the relatives of those affected by depression.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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