Hisato Fujihara, Pharmacist, PhD, Makoto Kishimoto, Pharmacist, Eiji Kose, Pharmacist, PhD, Hiroshi Shinonaga, Pharmacist, Eriko Tanaka, Pharmacist, Mariko Nakamichi, Pharmacist, Fumihiro Mizokami, Pharmacist, PhD
Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 16: 53-59, 2025
Objective: Currently, in Kaifukuki (convalescent)
rehabilitation wards, pharmacists' services are not
reimbursed under the medical fee system, which has
hindered the placement of pharmacists in wards and
made it difficult to fully clarify their usefulness. In this
study, we classified patients with musculoskeletal
disorders into groups that received active pharmacist
intervention and those that did not, and evaluated the
effect of pharmacist intervention on changes in ADL.
Method: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort
study targeting Kaifukuki rehabilitation wards.
Participating hospitals were recruited through the website
of the Japanese Society of Hospital Pharmacists. The
study included patients with musculoskeletal disorders
who were discharged from each participating hospital
between October 1 and October 31, 2022. The primary
outcome measure was FIM gain, which was compared
between the active and non-intensive intervention groups.
Results: Responses were received from 140 hospitals,
and information was collected from 1,265 patients.
After adjusting for propensity scores, 742 patients
(371 in the active intervention group and 371 in the
non-intensive intervention group) were included in the
analysis. When comparing the FIM gains between the
two groups, the active intervention group showed
significantly higher values than the non-intensive
intervention group.
Discussion: Pharmacist intervention in patients with
musculoskeletal disorders admitted to rehabilitation
wards was significantly associated with improvements
in ADL. Pharmacists working in Kaifukuki rehabilitation
wards should actively participate in ward activities and
contribute to the appropriate use of medications for
hospitalized patients, including deprescribing.
Key words: Kaifukuki rehabilitation ward, pharmacist intervention, FIM gain