The Impact of Pharmaceutical Care on the Infection Control Measures Among Hemodialytic Patients

This interventional randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the impact of clinical pharmacist intervention on infection control measures among hemodialysis patients. A total of 70 patients will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group (35 patients) or a non-intervention (control) group (35 patients), and the study will be conducted over a period of six months. Patients in the intervention group will receive pharmaceutical care in addition to standard care, with the clinical pharmacist identifying and resolving drug therapy problems (DTPs) related to indication, effectiveness, safety, and compliance. Specific infection control strategies in this group will include early referral to a nephrologist and patient education to reduce catheter use, thereby promoting timely transition to permanent vascular access options such as arteriovenous fistulas or grafts. In addition, topical antimicrobial ointments (e.g., Polysporin triple antibiotic ointment, Mupirocin, or medicinal honey) will be recommended for application at the catheter exit site during insertion and at each dialysis session to reduce catheter-related bloodstream infections. Antiseptic lock solutions will be used to prevent catheter colonization and biofilm formation, while prophylactic antibiotic-anticoagulant lock solutions will be applied to further reduce bloodstream infection risk. The pharmacist will also ensure appropriate selection and monitoring of antimicrobial agents based on culture sensitivity results. Meanwhile, patients in the non-intervention group will receive only conventional healthcare, with the researcher following them regularly to assess infection rates and identify any DTPs without intervening. For both groups, regular monitoring will include laboratory tests such as CBC, C-reactive protein (CRP) plasma viscosity, blood culture, and serum creatinine.