Abstract:

Organ transplantation represents the therapy of choice for most types of end stage organ failure. The monitoring of immunosuppressant pharmacotherapy and its tailoring to the needs of individual patients are critically important aspects of post-transplant care. Polypharmacy is frequent in the transplant patient population, and patients need to be closely monitored in order to allow medical providers to recognise and consequently manage a variety of drug-related problems. Furthermore, counselling patients on the properties and role of prescribed immunosuppressants in order to raise their awareness of potential drug side effects as well as ensuring patients’ compliance with their medical regimen are additional important aspects. Transplant patients are generally cared for by a multidisciplinary health care team, including hospital pharmacists who address relevant drug-related issues. This seminar will focus on the complexity of immunosuppression and common drug-related problems, the importance of compliance and adherence, and the hospital pharmacist’s role in transplant patient care.

Teaching goals:

• outlining the complexity of immunosuppression and common drug-related problems in transplant patients
• illustrating the hospital pharmacist’s roles in compliance assurance
• presenting methods of compliance measurement, research and enhancing adherence to immunosuppressant’s

Learning objectives:

After the presentation the participant should:

• be able to summarise relevant characteristics of immunosuppressant’s, associated risks and relevant transplant patient care issues
• be able to define possible areas for hospital pharmacists to engage in transplant patient care
• be able to define basic principles of compliance measurement and research