Impact of a pharmacist-led optimization strategy for cerebrovascular pharmacotherapy beyond recanalization in acute ischemic stroke: A pre- and post-intervention study

Zhongqiu Zhang, Xincai Zhao, Mengqi Jia, Fei Zhao, Miaomiao Zhou, Yadi Liu, Jiangshan Deng, Xiaoran Cai, Yao Fu, Jianping Zhang, Li Cao, Cheng Guo and Jin Lu

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 8, 1-14

Abstract: Objective: Polypharmacy involving cerebrovascular agents is common in acute ischemic stroke, but its clinical and economic value remains unclear. This study evaluated the impact of a pharmacist-led Stroke Pharmacotherapy Optimization Strategy (SPOS) in reducing polypharmacy, drug-related costs, and adverse events while preserving neurological recovery. Methods: A pre-post study was conducted at a tertiary hospital from June 2024 to April 2025. The control cohort included patients admitted from June to October 2024, and the SPOS cohort included patients admitted from December 2024 to April 2025. SPOS followed the “3-2-1” principle (≤3 non-recanalization cerebrovascular drugs, [NR-CVDs]; ≤ 2 cerebrovascular-related traditional Chinese medicines, [CR-TCMs]) to simplify pharmacotherapy and integrated pharmacist-led medication monitoring, patient education, and individualized adjustments. Results: A total of 416 patients were included (204 control, 212 SPOS). The SPOS group received significantly fewer NR-CVDs (SPOS group: 3.03 ± 1.18 vs control group: 4.62 ± 1.15; P

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0357101

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0357101

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