A Pharmacist-Led Education Program to Improve Adherence to Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation (PharmAD-AF)

National Taiwan University

Status: Invitation-only

Conditions: Atrial Fibrillation (AF)

Treatments: Other: Usual Care; Behavioral: Pharmacist-led patient education

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07159399

202404014RINC

NHRI-EX114-11409PI (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) increases the risk of stroke, and patients are commonly treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). However, when patients do not take these medications regularly, the drugs may not work effectively, increasing health risks.

In this study, called PharmAD-AF, specially trained pharmacists will meet with patients who have atrial fibrillation and are prescribed DOACs. They will offer personalized education and support to help patients take their medications as directed.

Researchers will compare groups of patients who receive this pharmacist-led education versus those who receive usual care. The main goals are to assess whether pharmacist support improves how consistently patients take their DOACs and how well the treatment prevents strokes while avoiding the side effects of DOAC therapy.

If successful, the study will demonstrate how pharmacist-led education can help patients stick to their treatment plan and reduce serious health risks, offering a practical way to improve heart-related care.

Enrollment: 400 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years of age or older
• have a confirmed diagnosis of AF
• are expected to begin DOAC therapy for at least 3 months for stroke prevention

Exclusion criteria

• cannot understand DOAC-related education due to low literacy, language barriers, or cognitive impairment
• have been on DOAC therapy for more than 6 months
• using DOACs in off-label regimens
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

---

400 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Patient education

Experimental group

Description:

Patients in this arm will receive a comprehensive DOAC education from trained pharmacists.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Pharmacist-led patient education

Usual care

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Patients in this arm will receive only usual care, without pharmacists providing additional DOAC education materials.

Treatment:

Other: Usual Care