The impact of pharmacist intervention on FIM gain in patients with musculoskeletal disorders in Kaifukuki rehabilitation wards.

Fujihara H, Kishimoto M, Kose E, Shinonaga H, Tanaka E, Nakamichi M, Mizokami F. The impact of pharmacist intervention on FIM gain in patients with musculoskeletal disorders in Kaifukuki rehabilitation wards. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2025; 16: 53-59. 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.