Al Wakrah

Medication errors after leaving the emergency department (ED) are common and can cause complications or hospital readmissions. Pharmacists are trained to help reduce these problems, but pharmacist-led transition of care services are not regularly offered in EDs. This pilot randomized controlled trial aims to determine if a pharmacist-led transition of care program can be successfully implemented in the ED at Al-Wakra Hospital and to assess the feasibility of a larger future study. The study compares usual care with usual care plus a pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) program. The pharmacist-led ToC starts when a patient is ready for discharge from the ED and includes reviewing discharge prescriptions, updating medication lists, providing medication education, scheduling follow-up appointments in a pharmacist-run clinic, communicating with outpatient pharmacists, and following up with patients after discharge. Patients assigned to the intervention group receive two follow-up visits within 7 and 14 days after leaving the ED to reassess medications and address any new issues. Participants will be assessed at baseline and followed up after discharge. Researchers will measure eligibility and recruitment rates, retention rates at days 7, 14, and 30 after ED discharge, and how well the pharmacist-led program is delivered and accepted by patients and staff. All activities are documented in the electronic health record, with monitoring continuing through 30 days post-discharge. The results will help plan a larger study to evaluate if this program can reduce healthcare use after leaving the ED.